Stupid Courage
by Jane O'Callaghan
Summary: Much time has passed, so much that the legend of the Hero of Winds is but a whisper from the oldest rocks. A seal that was meant to never be touched is broken, and New Hyrule is thrown into chaos. It will take more than a small group of rebels to finally liberate the Hylians from their new oppressor. It will take the stupid courage of one boy before Hyrule can be free once more.
1. Prologue

**Hey howdy hey! Welcome to my next fanfic, Stupid Courage! Lousy title, I know, but I couldn't come up with anything better (titles aren't my strong suit), and it was either this, which became a sort of unintentional theme in this fic, or "A Link to the Future!", which is just... even more lame (and I can say that because technically it was one of my brother's ideas that he came up with during one of our usual, lame, random, goofy conversations... he also discussed the idea that Epona could be a motorcycle. Now you know what I have to live with).  
****Now I know at the end of my last fic (The Imprisoning War) I said I was going to do more comedy/parody stuff, but then I got this idea, and it kept bothering me day and night that I had to write it first! I hope you enjoy, I am very very excited about this fic and I hope you like it! As always, any comments, critiques, and thoughts that you have about it are welcome, I love any kind of feedback so don't be shy! **

**Just to clarify a few things: this takes place after Spirit Tracks (much much later, but that'll become clear in a bit). There will be futuristic type technology in this fic, so if you feel that that doesn't belong in the Zelda universe then I'd advise you not to read this because you probably won't like it much.**

**Also if you're confused about anything feel free to ask me about it; I promise I'll answer any questions you have if they won't be answered in the fic... if they will be then you'll just have to wait like everyone else :-D**

**There will be _SPOILERS_! for Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Ocarina of Time. **

**_WARNING_!: This fic is rated M for mild curse words and some rough patches that I put the main characters through. Originally I planned to make it T, and I'd probably be safe keeping it at T, but I'm a worrier and it does get rather dark (in my opinion) later on so I decided to go with M just to be safe. If you are offended by the curse word that starts with an h, and another that starts with a d, then don't read (and if you don't know what words I'm talking about you probably shouldn't be reading this either...). Also, there are some suggestions of torture later on in this fic. Nothing graphic, and barely any descriptions are given, but I don't want anyone freaking out on me, and I don't want to upset anyone, so I'm warning you now. There is also a lot of fighting with guns, and explosions (as in buildings being blown up). If you're easily upset by these things, don't read, please! I really don't want to upset anyone, and I know such things can trigger depression/other problems in certain people, which is why I'm writing such a long warning.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TLoZ or any of its characters, but if I did Link would have a rocket launcher. Or his horse would. _Somebody_ would have a rocket launcher!**

* * *

Stupid Courage

Prologue

Arlene leaned back against the wooden wall behind her. Her small, thin arms crossed over her chest, and she peered out of the window, a small pout growing along her young face the longer she looked out. All that met her eyes was blue. Blue was everywhere. Blue ocean, blue sky, even blue fish that leaped from the waves playfully. It had been blue yesterday, and the day before, and it would still be blue tomorrow, and she was tired of it. She missed the green grass that surrounded her real home, and the browns of the trees, and grey of her best friend's cat. She missed any color that wasn't blue.

As if sensing the hate that Arlene was thinking towards it, the ocean replied back by spraying a thin mist of water through the window, hitting the young girl in the face. With a surprised squeal, Arlene pulled away from the window, wiping at her face with her shirt's sleeve as she did so.

"There you are!" a cheerful, familiar voice made her turn. There, poking his head into her quarters, was her older brother. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Why are you hiding down here? It's such a nice day outside!"

Arlene scowled at him as she walked across the room and plopped down on her narrow hammock. Swinging absentmindedly, the young girl gave a forlorn sigh. "I want to go home. We've been sailing around for almost a year now. We're never gonna find it!"

Her brother took a few steps closer. There was a twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes, though why that was there Arlene had no idea. "You sure about that?"

Arlene rolled her eyes; sometimes her brother could be a real idiot. "Yes, I'm positive. If we haven't found it now we never will. It's not even real! Why is Mom and Dad wasting their time with this?"

Her brother shrugged. "I don't know."

Arlene narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. There had been something odd in his voice. "What do you want, anyway?"

"What?" her brother asked in an innocent tone.

"Why were you looking for me?" Arlene asked impatiently.

"Oh, I don't know... there was something I was supposed to let you know, but..."

Arlene gave an annoyed growl when he drifted off and didn't continue.

Her brother laughed. "Alright, alright, calm down! Mom wanted me to let you know we found a landmark."

Arlene blinked. "A landmark?" Then realization dawned on her. "A _landmark_!? You idiot, why didn't you tell me right away!"

"Hey," her brother said defensively as he raised his hands in front of him. "You're the one who was so sure we wouldn't ever find anything. I didn't want to disappoint you."

Arlene scrambled off of her hammock. "Linebeck the twenty-second, just shut up and get out of my way!"

Soon the two siblings were racing each other up towards the main deck of their parent's ship. Above them large sails flapped casually in the winds, and a cloud of dark smoke rose towards the sky from a large chimney-like device that rested on the very center of the deck. Skirting around the cylindrical funnel, Arlene spotted her father in a conversation with some of the crew; they were huddled over the wheel and discussing something about the charts that lay around them. Her mother, however, was separated from the group and leaning over the starboard side's railing, peering through a small spyglass at something only she could see.

"What did you find?" Arlene asked breathlessly as she and her brother joined the older woman.

Arlene's mother pulled away from the spyglass reluctantly and handed it to her daughter. "Take a look for yourself. Straight that way." Placing one hand on Arlene's shoulder, the older woman used her free hand to direct Arlene's gaze as the young girl peered eagerly through the eyepiece. "You see it?" the excitement could barely be contained in the woman's voice as she waited for Arlene to spot what had the rest of the ship in such an animated state.

Arlene squinted through the bright sunlight and then finally found it. It was small, barely visible in the distance, and Arlene was surprised anyone had noticed it at all. Just above the waves, and every so often disappearing underneath them, was what looked like an old piece of pitch black stone. It stood out against the blue, forcing Arlene's color depraved mind to wonder at it far longer than any sane person should.

"That's it, right?" the voice of her brother pulled her from her awe. "It's a piece of the tower?"

She could feel the excitement coming off of her mother in waves as she answered. "It may very well be. We've looked at the charts, and from what I can tell it's in the general place that all the myths say it should be. North of the forest, south of the volcano, and somewhere between the old statues."

Arlene finally pulled away from the spyglass and handed it to her brother, who quickly peered through it with a large grin plastered on his face. "But we never found any statues," she protested.

Linebeck gave a weary sigh. "Come on, Arly, don't be such a spoilsport."

"I'm just saying," Arlene complained, crossing her arms and glaring at her brother's back.

"But," Arlene's mother began patiently. "We did find some remnants of one. Granted, we should've had three to help triangulate the point better, but we still found at least one."

"So..." Arlene started. "Are we going to check it out? Today?"

The deep voice of her father answered her question as the burly man joined his family. "We'll arrive there just before night fall. We can do some preliminary examinations of the area, just to make sure it's not a small piece of it that broke off."

Arlene's shoulders slumped. "What if it is?"

Linebeck closed the spyglass and handed it back to his mother. "Then at least we know we're close! Right, Dad?"

"Well, we'll see. If it is just a piece we'll need to start charting out the currents in this area, and..."

Arlene let her father's low voice turn into a hum in the back of her mind as she buried herself in her own thoughts. They had found pieces of old stone floating around in the ocean before. All that had meant was spending weeks sailing around in larger and larger circles to explore the currents, and then finding out the stone could have come from anywhere. She sighed and peered out towards their destination. Was it really it this time? Would they finally find it?

Her parents were ridiculed by the other archaeologists back at New Hyrule Kingdom for even planning this trip. The tower wasn't real, after all, none of it was. It was just a story to make kids want to be like the legendary - but still fictional - Hero of Winds. Even Arlene had wanted to be like the noble hero when she had been younger; she had cut out a green tunic out of her mother's curtains for herself and everything. But now she was older, and now that she was nine years old she considered herself to be smart enough to know that myths were just that: myths. Why her parents were wasting all their time trying to find something no one else believed in was beyond her.

But... maybe. Maybe this was really it. Arlene tried to quench the flitter of excitement that was rising in her chest, but it refused to go away. As the ship drew ever closer to that tiny piece of black stone on the horizon, and the rest of her family chatted away almost feverishly, Arlene let a smile grow on her face. Maybe it really was real, and then her parents would prove the rest of the world wrong. Wouldn't that be something?

* * *

They were anchored quite a long distance from the stone. They didn't want the large ship to scrape against it and break anything, after all. Now the small family of four was on a smaller boat, powered only be a small engine that had them crawling towards the rock at a painfully slow rate. Finally they reached it. Arlene could have touched it if she wanted to, but she had been on enough of her parent's expeditions to know that was a bad thing.

_"The oils on your fingers could damage something, Arly! Don't touch!"_

Arlene rolled her eyes at the familiar memory before bringing her attention to the present. Her father and mother were already suited with the gear they needed: flippers to help them swim, underwater breathing apparatuses, and small, easily portable boxes of archaeological tools. Arlene knew that she and brother had to just watch this part, to make sure their small boat didn't drift off on them, but it was still frustrating to watch the adults get to have all the fun.

"Don't look so mad, Arly," her father said cheerfully as he sat on the edge of the boat and dipped his feet into the warm ocean water. "If this turns out to be the place, we'll all get to go down!"

"Promise?" Arlene asked. She had asked this several times already, but she still liked to make sure.

The man nodded. "The goddesses strike me down if I don't!"

Arlene giggled, and then her father and mother were off of the boat, swimming towards the rock.

"Can you see?" Arlene asked anxiously of her brother as she tried to get a better look at the rock.

"Not really, it's too dark," Linebeck answered.

"It doesn't look like it's moving," Arlene whispered, as if afraid that if she spoke any louder the volume of her voice would be enough to shake the rock free of whatever was holding it in place. "Maybe it really is part of a pillar!"

"Maybe," Linebeck answered, just as quietly.

Their parents were soon diving down, and eventually they were completely out of sight as they dove deeper into the dark depths below.

* * *

It was what they were looking for. Arlene's parents had returned to the boat just a few minutes later, expressions on their faces the likes of which Arlene had never seen before.

"It's a pillar all right!" her mother had said.

"How far down does it go?" Arlene asked as she helped her parents climb back aboard.

"Down!" Arlene's father answered. "Very far down! We went as far as we could before it got too dark, and it goes... down!"

Arlene and Linebeck grinned at each other. Maybe this really was from the myth.

* * *

They were ready now. It was early morning, and already they had loaded their submarine with everything they needed. Arlene had barely slept, and now, finally, they were all seated and buckled in and being dumped into the water by their ship's crew.

The submarine went down, very far down, and eventually Arlene stopped keeping track of how deep they were going. Soon they were so far down the sun didn't even reach them, and they were solely dependent on what little light they had from the submarine's headlights.

"There!" Arlene's father suddenly exclaimed.

There was a mad rush for the front of the boat, and neither adult seemed to care that their children were now unbuckled. Arlene pushed past her brother and peered through the warped window that made up the entire front of the boat.

"It is real," Arlene breathed in amazement.

A black tower rose before them, partially hidden by old rocks and steep hills that were once mountains. Sea grass waved at them as they drew closer to the tower. It had a flat roof, just like the myths described. The myths of where the Hero of Winds had battled Ganondorf. The tower was crumbling, centuries of erosion had done its damage to the ancient site, but it was still standing, almost as if the spirit of Ganondorf was still there, refusing to be beaten. There was a small lump on the roof as well, which Arlene at first thought was just something that had fallen from one of the nearby mountains, but as they drew closer she saw it take the form of a person.

"Look at that!" Arlene shouted, pointing at it.

"Could it be...?" Linebeck whispered.

Their father pointed the boat's light onto the lumpy figure and everyone inside gasped audibly. It was a statue. A statue of a very large man in a long robe and cloak, resting on his knees, his back arched upwards and his face, though not visible, was pointing upwards towards the surface. His hands clutched what looked like what used to be swords, but the blades were long gone. There was another sword, which looked to be in much better shape, sticking out of the statue's head. It seemed to glow in what little light there was, casting eerie shadows around the statue.

"We have to get that inside," Arlene's father mumbled excitedly. This was what they had been searching for for so long. Now, finally, they would be accepted by their colleagues again.

Very carefully, the older man started to lower the submarine so that the statue was surrounded by the walls of the boat's second compartment. It had been made for just this sort of task: underwater archaeology. They would close off a section that they wanted to explore, and then the submarine was capable of pushing most of the water out of the compartment so they could walk around and stay mostly dry.

All the same, as soon as the compartment was cleared for entry, the family pulled on thick boots before entering. The floor had a few inches of sea water still swirling about on it, and a few small fish scattered around every time anyone took a step. But Arlene didn't even notice the fish, even though they were a different color other than blue. Her eyes, just like the rest of her family, was on the statue.

"Look at that sword!" Linebeck said with awe as he took another step closer.

"Don't touch anything," their father reminded them. "Let's get pictures of this first!"

"Goddesses," their mother breathed. "Just _look_ at its condition. The stone looks just as old as the tower, so it must have been built around the same time, but it is _perfect_. Not even a single barnacle stuck to it! And just look at the detail!"

A shiver ran through Arlene as she watched her parents document the statue's condition. Movement in the corner of her eyes turned her attention away from the statue and towards her brother, who was moving a box closer to the statue.

"What are you doing, Linebeck?" Arlene asked wearily; sometimes she wondered if maybe her parent's had lied to her, and she was actually the elder sibling.

"I just want to see if it's a real sword or not," Linebeck answered matter-of-factly. "It looks real."

Arlene frowned. "You're not supposed to touch it!"

"Blah blah blah, I can't hear you!"

Arlene glanced at her parents. They were at the other side of the statue, and its wide back and flowing cloak was blocking their view of their son. Arlene sighed and turned to watch her brother. She was curious herself.

Linebeck grabbed the hilt with the careful grip of an archaeologist before giving it a gentle tug. The blade slid out easily, screeching against the stone loudly as if protesting being moved. "Whoa!" Linebeck shouted in surprise; he lost his balance and fell back to the floor, nearly impaling himself with the sword as he landed.

"What is going on over here?" the exasperated voice of her mother reached their ears. Their parents came around the statue and then stopped short when they saw their son with the sword in his grasp.

"What are you doing!?" their father shouted. "Do you want to damage priceless artifacts beyond recognition!?"

Arlene shrunk closer to her mother. She had never seen her father this angry before. As her father continued to yell at her brother, the statue gave a sudden sigh. She glanced towards it, and felt her eyes widen. The rock was crumbling away. Bits of color appeared underneath the parts that had already fallen, and even more of it was collapsing at an alarming speed.

Arlene quickly gripped her mother's hand as she watched the statue fall to pieces. It left behind a man. A real man.

"Goddesses," Arlene heard her mother whisper, but she couldn't take her eyes off of what used to be the statue. "Linebeck."

Hearing his name was enough to make the older man stop his scolding. He turned. "What?" he snapped. Then he saw, and he nearly choked the next time he tried to swallow.

The man slowly got to his feet; he moved stiffly, and Arlene was certain that was understandable given he had been stuck as a statue for who knew how many centuries.

The man was even larger standing, and he looked about himself with a curious expression on his face. Finally he noticed the family next to him. A large grin began to spread across his face. Suddenly he burst into laughter; it was loud and deep, and it shook the walls of the submarine. Terrified and barely thinking, Arlene covered her ears and hid behind the box her brother had used to climb the statue just a moment ago.

Then the laugher stopped, leaving their ears ringing with its harsh echoes. "How long?" the man asked. Arlene couldn't see what was going on because of her hiding spot, but her father soon answered.

"Um... do you mean... how long..."

"How long have I been sealed away by the Master Sword!?" the statue man shouted.

"At least... five centuries. Possibly longer..."

The man began to laugh again. "Perfect. That means everyone will have forgotten about me. They will... _underestimate_ me." Another bout of laughter.

"Who are you?" Arlene heard her brother ask. But she didn't need the man to answer. She already knew, and a small part of her horrified brain wondered why her brother didn't. They all knew the stories. She gripped her knees tightly, wanting to cover her ears and not hear the answer when she heard the statue man take in a breath to answer her brother.

"I... am Ganondorf."

Arlene covered her face with her hands, wishing the horrible situation away. They had just proved the rest of the world wrong. Wasn't that something?

* * *

**If you skipped the super long author's notes at the beginning of this chapter, please go back and read through the warnings that are there. They're easy to find, as the word 'warning' is in all capitals, underlined, and in italics; please please read them if you haven't yet! They're really important, so thanks!**

**Also, I have most of this already written out ****(I'm currently working on the last few chapters)**, so updates should be fairly consistent. I'm hoping to update at least twice a week, however since this is the very beginning I'm going to do three chapters this week, so y'all can decide sooner if you want to keep up with it or if reading this is just a big waste of your time :-D

**I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow, and then the next one a few days later. See you all then, and thanks very much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1: Staying Safe

Chapter One

Staying Safe

Eddo was asleep. Just like every night, it had been a struggle to get into that condition. This time, he hadn't managed to fall asleep until well past midnight. As the sun began to poke its way obnoxiously through a hole in the curtains, landing sharply on his pale face, Eddo felt himself being pulled back to wakefulness. He wasn't sure if it was a relief to be awake again or not. For one, he was still exhausted and wouldn't mind having had another few hours at least, but then again when he was awake he was free from the nightmares that visited him every night. At least awake, he couldn't see the monster that lurked in the shadows.

Groggily, he sat up. He could already hear some of the others moving around downstairs. Glancing around the room, he noticed most of the other beds were empty already. He grimaced; there was something he was forgetting, he was certain of it. Something important...

A snort brought his attention to the bed at the far side of the room. The lumpy form of his only friend rolled dangerously close to the edge of the mattress, the only thing keeping him from falling to the floor was the fact that he was so entangled into his sheets that they held him in place.

Eddo grabbed his pillow and threw it at his friend. "Hey, Orca, wake up!"

Orca snorted again and then sat up sloppily, his dark hair sticking up at odd angles. "Wha...?" he grumbled, already trying to stand automatically now that he was awake. The blankets wrapped tightly about his torso stopped him, and he glanced down with a confused expression on his face.

"Isn't there something going on today?" Eddo asked, knowing the best way to wake up his friend was to try and get him to turn his brain on.

"Today? What? What is today?" Orca asked as he started to worm his way out from under his sheets.

"Saturday."

Suddenly Orca froze, and his narrow face paled. "Oh, man, Ed, it's not just any Saturday!"

Eddo frowned, trying to think past his own fatigue. Then he remembered, and his shocked expression matched Orca's perfectly. "Orca, if we're late we are dead. Literally."

"Hurry up and help me out of this trap then!"

Eddo rolled deftly out of his bed and onto his feet before racing over to his friend. "Stop moving so much in your sleep!" Eddo complained as they stretched the sheets almost to the point they would have ripped in half had they pulled anymore.

Finally Orca was free, and the two boys quickly got dressed before racing to where they were supposed to be that day. "Why didn't anyone wake us up?!" Orca complained as they tore through empty hallways.

"Seriously? You really have to ask?" Eddo shouted back over the loud pounding of their boots against the cold stone floors.

They slid into the Main Hall just as the last of the other boys were being lined up. The large room was brightly lit for a change, with large chandeliers swinging heavily over the stone floor. As he and Orca took their places, Eddo noticed the headmistress glaring down at them from the front of the room, her sharp golden eyes narrowed angrily and her bright red hair pulled back tightly against her face, showing off her prominent Gerudo facial features.

"We're not late, but I think we're dead anyway," Orca whispered into Eddo's ear, recognizing the furious expression that was being pointed at them.

Eddo nodded; he recognized the look, too. They had both seen it enough times to know when the headmistress was angry, and when she was _angry_. This look was the latter of the two.

A hush fell about the room as they waited in perfectly straight rows that all faced the doors. Those big double doors, that Eddo and all the other boys inside had only crossed through once, would soon be opening. Soon he would come to visit. Such an occurrence happened once every year, but every year it seemed to become more and more elaborate. This time the headmistress and all the other teachers were gathered just in front of the doors, garbed in their traditional formalwear that looked like such an old style of clothing Eddo imagined it was what people must have worn long before the school he lived in had even existed, and his school had existed for pretty much _forever_.

Eddo and Orca would sometimes debate why they had to do this ceremony every year. Eddo always got the feeling that _he_ was looking for something within the school, and after he had voiced that opinion their conversations had turned from "_he_ just gets bored" to "there's a hidden room somewhere in the school, but _he_ only has time to look for it once a year!"

They had even tried to look for that hidden room themselves, because maybe if they found it they would get some sort of reward, but they were just as unsuccessful as _he_ seemed to be every year.

The headmistress suddenly stepped forward slightly. All eyes turned to her, and the silence grew even heavier. "Attention, students," the woman called out, her voice just as sharp and cold as her eyes. "Soon, our great king will arrive. I expect nothing but perfection from all of you." Here she paused just long enough to cast another glare towards Eddo and Orca.

Eddo realized that he and his friend probably didn't look all that neat. In their rush to get there on time, he had forgotten to even comb his hair. He glanced over at Orca and imagined that if he looked anything like his unkempt friend, they must really be standing out right now even if they weren't directly in the front.

"Failure to do so," the headmistress continued. "Will result not only in the usual punishment, but also something special that our very own Aveil has thought up."

Eddo tried to hide the grimace from his face. Aveil was the worst of the teachers in the school, even more harsh than the headmistress. If she was in charge of discipline for the day, then more than likely every single student would be punished by her before curfew was even close to being called. Beside him Orca gave a small sigh; he had had the same thoughts as Eddo and was already resigning himself to it.

The room was silent again for only a brief moment before something new interrupted the quiet. A loud knocking that seemed almost ominous reached their ears. If at all possible, the headmistress' posture straightened even more before she nodded to a Hylian man who was standing nervously nearby. The man, who everyone called Grandpa out of fondness despite the fact that he probably wasn't much older than thirty, was the only nice adult in the school. Nobody knew his past, or even what his real name was, he never talked, but he was the only one who would help the students out every so often. Eddo watched as Grandpa scrambled over to the doors and quickly pulled them open before disappearing in a dark corner of the room.

It wasn't really necessary for Grandpa to hide, however, for as soon as the doors had opened everyone had instantly forgotten about him. Because, as soon as the doors had opened, everyone's attention was on the man that stepped through. A bright but dusty city stood as a background to the man, whose presence was so overpowering that Eddo felt he was completely alone in the room with this oppressive looking man. No matter how many times he saw him, Eddo was still intimidated by the severe expression in his dark red eyes.

The headmistress quickly stepped forward before calling out crisply. "All bow down before your great and powerful king, Lord Ganondorf the Great!"

Eddo joined Orca and the others as they all scrambled to their knees. Just before Eddo bowed his head, he caught the shadow of a smug grin spreading over the man's face.

"Welcome to our school, my king," the headmistress said solemnly.

"Thank you; it gets more orderly every time I see it," Ganondorf said cheerfully as he stepped further into the room. His large boots clanked heavily against the stone; Eddo could practically feel the vibrations from the heavy footfalls spreading across the floor.

"You are too gracious, Lord Ganondorf," the headmistress replied, relief in her voice. The others could understand that relief; it was rare that Ganondorf sounded like he was happy.

Eddo kept his head bowed, just like all the other students, but he could hear the rest of Ganondorf's entourage beginning to enter the room. There would be more Gerudo guards, all women, of course; he had yet to see another male Gerudo, wearing thick, heavy looking armor that seemed to capture any light that shone on it rather than reflect it back. Then there would be a few Hylians mixed in; they were there only to serve the higher ranking guards and perhaps even Ganondorf himself.

Long minutes passed, and Eddo began to feel his knees start to protest being pressed against the hard, rough stone floor for so long. His stomach was also beginning to grumble, and he remembered that he had missed breakfast in his haste to get to the Hall. He quickly clenched his stomach muscles, mentally pleading with the organ to remain silent for just a few more hours.

Eventually everyone was inside, and the large doors closed with a loud clang. The view of the city disappeared, and its bright, multicolored lights that had been shining into the room before were now gone.

Then the ceremony began. Ganondorf would approach each student individually, place his hand on their head as if he were blessing them, ask for their name, and then move on to the next. Eddo didn't understand the point of the ceremony; it occurred every year, yet for the life of him he couldn't understand why. He supposed it gave Ganondorf's people some time to search the school for the mysterious secret room he and Orca had theorized about, but wouldn't it just be easier to have everyone confined to the dormitory? He bit the inside of his lip as he tried to figure it out; his thoughts acted as a good distraction from the pain in his knees and his hunger.

Eddo and Orca were somewhat in the middle of the crowd, and so it took some time for Ganondorf to reach them. By the time he did Eddo's knees were throbbing in agony, but he still clung on to his stubborn will power and remained stationary. He felt the heavy hand of Ganondorf fall onto his head.

"What's your name, boy?"

For every year that Ganondorf asked that question, Eddo had to resist the urge to tell him the truth and tell him the true name his mother had really given him. But then her warning would float through his mind, and so every year he would give his false name. "Eddo, Lord Ganondorf."

Ganondorf moved on.

* * *

Dinner was much better than the dinners that they usually had. Every year the school tried to impress Ganondorf, and so an elaborate meal was planned. Of course, there was always too much, and so Grandpa would take what was left, what he was supposed to throw out, and pass it out to the students instead. So Eddo and Orca pretended to enjoy the food that they were always given - thick, tasteless porridge and bread, the same as breakfast - and then they would wait in the dormitory with the others for Grandpa to arrive.

Orca gave a satisfied sigh as he flopped back into his bed. "I feel... full!"

Eddo snorted in amusement along with a few other students. "Enjoy it while you can, Orca," Eddo said.

"Until next year, oh fleeting feelings of satiated hunger!"

Eddo rolled his eyes and yanked the blankets over his head. "Drama queen," he grumbled.

"I heard that!"

Eddo rolled his eyes, but didn't shut them. It was too early to try and sleep. All he would see was the monster in the shadows anyway, and he was feeling far too good at the moment to risk going back there just yet. Instead he let his mind wander back to his mother. He rarely thought about her; it hurt too much to, but, once, every year he did. Every year, because every year he remembered her warning.

_"What's your name, my dear son?"_

_"Eddo."_

_The woman with the kind, smiling face - the only woman's face he could remember ever being kind - nodded. "That is what you tell people. But you must remember your true name as well. The name I gave you when you were born, the name that our family always gives to our strong, baby boys."_

_Eddo's thin shoulders sagged. "Why do I have to have two names? Nobody else does. It's stupid."_

_"Don't say that. Your name is strength, and that is something our people need these days. Always remember your true name."_

_"But what's the point?" Eddo pressed on. "If I never use the other name."_

_His mother stroked a hand through his golden locks. "Because that is the name I gave you when I first held you in my arms. The name of Eddo will serve to keep you safe."_

_"Safe from what?"_

_His mother smiled. "Just safe. Some people wouldn't like to find out what family you come from, Link."_

_"What's your name, boy?"_

_Every year Ganondorf asked that question, Link had to resist the urge to tell him the truth and tell him the true name his mother had really given him. But then her warning would float through his mind, and so every year he would give his false name. "Eddo, Lord Ganondorf."_

_Ganondorf moved on._

* * *

**So just in case it wasn't obvious, this takes place some time after the prologue. How much time, you ask? Well I ain't saying! You'll find that out later :-)**

**Questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know! I love reviews more than I love kittens and sunshine!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2: Strange Occurrences

**A big thanks to the people following this story! You guys are awesome!**

* * *

Chapter Two

Strange Occurrences

"What's your name, boy?"

Every year Ganondorf asked that question, Link had to resist the urge to tell him the truth and tell him the true name his mother had really given him. But then her warning would float through his mind, and so every year he would give his false name. But this year something felt different. The faded warning in his head wasn't enough, and it was as if on an impulse that he blurted out the word Link.

It was right after that stupid moment of courage that the back of Ganondorf's hand began to glow with a strange symbol that looked like three golden triangles stuck together in such a way that there was another triangle upside down in the center.

"You have it!" Ganondorf shouted. All the other students disappeared, along with Grandpa, the headmistress, Ganondorf's guards, and all the teachers as well. "I finally found you!" Ganondorf barked out a laugh, and Link found himself unable to move. He wasn't certain if a spell had been placed on him, or if it was just because of his own overwhelming fear that he suddenly found himself frozen to the ground.

"And now, before you have time to learn of yourself, I will destroy you again, Hero!" Ganondorf transformed, and it was into the monster in the shadows that Link had been dreaming of every night for his entire life. It was large, taking up the entire room, and hideous; almost pig-like in form, saliva dripped from between its giant tusks, and between large, discolored fingers it gripped a large trident. Without saying another word, Ganondorf thrust this weapon into Link's stomach.

Pain the likes of which he had never felt before filled him. If Orca hadn't waken him up when he had, Link was certain that he might have actually died in his sleep because of it.

"Ed, what is up with you?" Orca snapped, shaking at Link by his shoulders vigorously.

Link scrambled out of his dream and stared at Orca with wild eyes, cold sweat dripping down his face. "Orca?"

"Yeah..." Orca said uncertainly. "Keep it down, you'll wake up everyone else."

Link swallowed thickly and looked around. He was back in the dormitory. The comfortable feeling of a full stomach from last night's meal had already faded, and the first few rays of sun were just beginning to poke into the spartan room. Snores filled the air around him, hinting that the other students were still asleep.

"What is up with you, Ed? They're getting worse, aren't they?"

Link nodded before flopping back onto his pillow, wiping at his face with his hands and trying to erase the image of the mutated Ganondorf from his mind.

"Maybe you should talk to someone about it?" Orca suggested.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"

"Um... the matron?" He frowned at his own suggestion. "Well, maybe not. Forget I mentioned it."

Link sighed before giving his friend a thumbs up. "Good idea, man."

Orca rocked back on his heels. "I bet my brother would know what's wrong with you."

Link glanced at the other boy; he very rarely talked about his brother. The two had been separated by the school system after they had taken their aptitude tests. Orca had scored into the worker's class, just like Link. Neither of them were stupid, but they also weren't geniuses. Not like Orca's brother, anyway; according to Orca, his brother even had a larger head than average because of his ridiculously large brain.

Orca gave a tired sigh. "If only we could find a way to communicate with the scholar's school. Sturgeon would figure it out right away."

"Don't worry about it, Orca," Link said. "It's just a bunch of stupid dreams."

"Yeah, I guess."

Link watched Orca shamble back to his own bed; a moment later he was snoring along with the other students. Link, however, lay awake until it was time to get out of bed. They had had the day off yesterday because of Ganondorf's visit, but today was a new day, and that meant everything went right back to normal.

Mindless chores - chopping fire wood, even though the school didn't use any of it, and cleaning every single room - took up most of the morning. After that they were allowed to eat breakfast, and then they were all sent into the work room. Nobody knew what the point of the work room was. It was never clear what they were doing in there, and none of the teachers ever bothered to explain any of it. They did, however, spend the rest of the entire day in that room until dinner time, working at a field of indoor plants.

Just as they did with everything else mysterious at the school, Link and Orca liked to theorize on what the plants were for. Their ideas ranged from "the Gerudo are trying to feed all the homeless Hylians, because they're actually really nice deep down and just misunderstood" to "this is really just practice for when we graduate and are sent off to work in the real world."

Link felt that the last idea was probably the most likely. The plants never looked that healthy, probably because they were being grown indoors. They started out strong and with a strange dark purple color, but every time - and with every single crop - as they grew their shiny leaves wilted, the stems narrowed, the color turned to a pitch black, and the entire room smelled of something rotting. The plants were almost fully mature now, and so the room had a particularly nasty oder. Some even fell sick from it, but that didn't stop the teachers from sending in their students every day. One teacher stayed in the room with them to supervise, a long, white veil covering her face so she didn't have to breath in the stench. In a few days the plants would be ready for harvesting; they would gather them into baskets and then leave them there in the room. Then, the next day, the baskets would be gone and the field would need more tilling so they could start all over again.

For now, though, they were just weeding - though where the weeds even came from Link had no idea - and watering. The plants absorbed the water as if they had never been watered for their entire lives. It took several bucket-fulls for each plant before the ground around it even looked moist.

By the time dinner was finished and they had washed all the dishes, every single student was exhausted. Knowing that they would have to do it all over again the next day, the boys trooped back to the dormitory and collapsed onto their beds. Link desperately wanted to sleep, but every time his eyes started to drift closed he remembered his last dream and would snap awake, his heart beating rapidly and his side throbbing with a dull, imagined pain.

So he lay awake, listening to his fellow students sleeping peacefully. Behind the curtains a bright light flashed from somewhere in the city. Link didn't pay it much heed, as lights were always flashing away out there. But then he felt his bed shake slightly, and a low rumble reached his ears. He sat up, but no one else had seemed to notice. Holding his breath, he listened for any other sounds.

After a few minutes of uninterrupted silence, Link cautiously climbed out of bed and tiptoed over to the window. He gently pulled the curtain back, trying to block the any light from entering the room with his body as best he could as he peered outside. There was an unfamiliar glare mixed in with the rest of the city lights, and a pillar of smoke was working its way up from behind a row of tall buildings. He squinted through the dirt-stained glass but couldn't see anything else. Not quite sure what to make of it, Link started to head back to bed only to find he was no longer the only person awake in the room.

"Grandpa?" Link whispered, taking a few cautious steps closer to the older man.

The Hylian put a shaking finger to his lips.

"Hey, don't worry, Grandpa, I won't tell anyone you're here. You know that."

Grandpa smiled, his dark green eyes crinkled with unspoken gratitude.

"Hey, come here," Link said as he gestured towards the window. Grandpa peered out curiously, but as Link watched his expression it never changed. He wondered if Grandpa had already seen it, as he didn't seem all that interested in the strange glow and smoke.

"Do you know what that is?"

Grandpa looked at Link; the trust never left the man's face, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes now. Again, the old man put a finger to his lips.

"Don't talk about it?"

Grandpa nodded quickly.

"Ok, ok, I won't."

Grandpa gripped Link by the shoulder and once again put a finger to his lips. The man's grip was painfully tight, something Link would never think the old man was capable of as he had always looked rather frail.

"I won't talk about it, I promise."

Relief filled the other man's face, and a moment later he was scrambling out of the room, leaving Link alone with his thoughts once again.

"What a crazy old coot," Orca grumbled next to him, an arm thrown over his face and hiding the fact he was awake.

"I think something happened in the city," Link whispered back.

Orca gave a half shrug and rolled onto his side so his back was turned to Link. "Not supposed to talk about it, remember?"

Link rolled his eyes and returned to his bed. He was burning with so much curiosity about the earlier events, however, that he didn't fall asleep once during the night. Every so often he would hear soft footsteps running past the dormitory's door. At first he thought it might be Grandpa, but then realized Grandpa never made a sound; it must be the teachers.

"What are they doing up?" Link wondered to himself as he listened to them skitter about the school like rats in the walls.

* * *

The next morning they were awoken by a teacher earlier than usual. They were also escorted around during all of their chores, and nearly every single teacher was there during breakfast, glaring at them all suspiciously.

Link and Orca exchanged swift glances, each wondering if the strange behavior in the teachers had anything to do with what had happened in the city. Link kept his promise to Grandpa though, and didn't speak a word out loud of it to anyone. He had a feeling that if he even tried, the teachers would probably blame him for whatever had happened. As he considered this he realized Grandpa was a pretty smart person.

As they were being escorted back to the dormitory, Link noticed Grandpa scurrying down one of the side passageways that acted as a sort of shortcut to the kitchens. Still curious, Link bent over to Orca. "Cover for me," Link breathed quietly before ducking out of the line and into the same passageway.

"What? Ed!" Orca hissed after him. "Aw geez." Orca rubbed at the back of his head, tousling his brown hair even more.

Link, meanwhile, was shadowing Grandpa until the man stopped short at the end of the passageway. Then he turned sharply and glared at Link, who was taken aback. Had he known Link was following him this whole time?

"Grandpa, I need to ask you something," Link said quietly.

Grandpa shook his head angrily and then pointed back towards the long line of students down the narrow hall.

"You know what the glow in the city was, don't you? Please tell me!"

Grandpa shifted uncomfortably, and his jaw began to move as if trying to remember how to form words. Finally Grandpa gave Link a helpless look as he waved his arms in the air, twitching his fingers back and forth rapidly. When all Link did was stare at him with a dull expression, Grandpa let his hands fall back to sides uselessly. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Grandpa tried the motion again, hoping Link would understand this time around.

"I don't get it," Link finally said, and Grandpa let his arms fall once again.

Grandpa looked around nervously and then turned back the way he had been going, gesturing for Link to follow as he started to walk away. Link quickly ran to catch up, still trying to work out what the older man had been trying to tell him. They moved down several hallways before they finally stopped in front of the headmistress' quarters. The door was shut tightly, but muffled sounds could still be heard from inside. Grandpa put a finger to his lips and then leaned against the door, pressing his ear against the thick wood and gesturing for Link to do the same.

Excited over the prospect of actually spying on the headmistress, Link quickly copied the older Hylian's action. He could just make out the sharp voice of the headmistress, who seemed to be complaining to someone else in the room.

"Those damn rebels. What do they hope to gain by blowing up part of the city? Now we have to change our routes."

"That could be their plan," another voice said, one that Link instantly recognized as Aveil.

The headmistress drew in her next breath sharply. "Of course. The obvious next route we would take is through the merchant sector, they probably have something planned there as well."

"But what other route can we take? The merchant district is the only route to the scholar's school without going through the Hylian sector."

"Fetch the map, we'll work something out."

Silence then fell, and Link soon felt Grandpa pulling at his arm. He quickly followed him back towards the dormitory, stopping only when they were back in the first passage. "An explosion, that's what you were trying to say?" Link asked.

Grandpa nodded with an annoyed expression, repeating his strange gesture as if it was supposed to have been obvious.

"So... the people who did that are... rebels?" Link repeated the word he had heard the headmistress use. "What are those?"

Grandpa's shoulders sagged, and his expression suddenly looked very old.

"Let's see..." Link said quietly. "Rebels... obviously rebel against something. What though? Don't look at me like that, if you're not going to talk then I have to figure it out my way! They blew up the city, but the more expensive buildings, so not any Hylian homes. They don't like the Gerudo. The rebels are Hylian?"

Grandpa nodded eagerly and then quickly put a finger to his lips.

"Don't worry, I won't tell. Are you a... rebel?"

Grandpa tilted his head and then shrugged, tilting one of his hands back and forth at the same time.

"Sort of? How can you be a sort of rebel?"

Grandpa's expression turned annoyed again, and Link soon found himself being gently pushed back towards the dormitory.

"But wait, what route were they trying to plan? What was that for?"

Grandpa let Link turn back to face him only when they were right in front of the dormitory. The older man's face looked gentle, and he placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "Time," the old man whispered, his voice hoarse from misuse.

"Time? What does that mean?"

Grandpa didn't answer him, however, and Link could only watch as he scurried back down the hallway, quickly disappearing into the shadows. "Time..." Link grumbled to himself as he stepped towards his bed. "The guy is more confusing when he talks than when he doesn't."

* * *

The next morning, Link awoke to confusion. All of the teachers were in the dormitory, including the headmistress, and one of them was practically dragging a still half-asleep student out of his bed. Link watched as the teachers started to half-drag the boy out of the room. Quickly, he and all the other students followed along, eager to see what was about to happen.

They all ended up in the Main Hall, where the double doors were instantly thrown open by Grandpa.

"You have now reached your eighteenth birthday," the headmistress said loudly as the teachers threw the boy through the doors. "You have therefore graduated. Congratulations. Find a job, and serve your king to the best of your ability."

"What...?" the boy murmured, still half-asleep. The doors closed with a loud clang, and the confused expression of the newly graduated student disappeared from Link's sight.

"Lucky stiff," Orca grumbled at Link's side.

"Two more years, Orca, then that'll be us," Link said brightly as they all turned to get ready for their chores.

"You, you mean. I have to wait three. And a half. But I still can't wait," Orca said with a smile on his face.

For that entire day, all the students spent most of their working hours imagining themselves being thrown out of the school during their own graduation ceremony.

* * *

"Hey, Ed," Orca whispered. "Ed! Ed, are you awake?"

"What do you want, Orca," Link finally replied.

"You're going to graduate before me, so when you do could you check up on my brother?"

"What?"

"He'll have graduated by the time you do, so just... I don't know, try to find out what he's up to. Please?"

"Yeah, of course. No problem."

"Thanks."

Link smiled, and yet again found himself wishing he had a sibling. A sibling like Orca, who was so worried about him he sent someone to check up on him, even though that person would never be able to get back to where his sibling was to let him know how Link was doing. Just the fact that someone was going to check up on him would be enough for that sibling. Just the fact that someone cared enough to send someone to check up on him would be enough for Link. A pit of loneliness threatened to send Link into tears, and so he rolled roughly onto his side, closed his eyes, and joined the monster in the shadows once again.

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**Thanks for reading! I have decided that I will be trying to update this fic every Monday and Thursday (at least, that's what it'll be where I live, it might be different for you depending on where you live). I hope you all have a great weekend! **


	4. Chapter 3: The Freshmen

**Ok, first I just want to start off by apologizing for not updating last week. Some personal stuff came up and I didn't have any time at all for this site, but I really am sorry! I feel really bad about it :-(**

**Second, thank you so much to the people who are still reading and to the people who left reviews! You guys are so awesome!  
Guest: Not to worry, I have never left a story unfinished on this site and I don't plan to start! There shouldn't be any more breaks between updates without warning like that. I hope... :-)  
Frank Hunter: Thanks for the awesome feedback, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Also, I'm pretty sure that this fic is independent enough of the other games that you should be able to enjoy the entire thing (but if there is anything you find too confusing feel free to let me know! I am trying to make sure that anyone can enjoy this fic, whether they've played every single Zelda game or not, so any feedback on whether something I write is too dependent on knowledge of a particular game would be greatly appreciated! That goes for everyone reading, if you're confused about something let me know, please!). Later on I do bring in more stuff from Spirit Tracks, but I think most of it is explained enough that you should be ok. Just keep in mind that there are going to be spoilers, so if you were planning on playing those games you might want to take a break from this fic!**

**Finally, this chapter is, sadly, a bit short. I promise the next chapter on Thursday will more than make up for that though! I hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter Three

The Freshmen

It was midday when the gong was rung. Link knew the sound, as did all the other students. It had been rung when Link had arrived, it had been rung when the students a year younger than him had arrived, and every year since. It didn't happen everyday.

"Freshmen!" Orca cheered as they all filed towards the Main Hall.

Link felt just as elated as Orca sounded. A day when freshmen arrived meant less work for them, as the teachers liked to introduce the new students of the boy's worker's school to their work right away.

As soon as the large double doors opened, Link instantly recognized all the faces that filed into the building. It wasn't that Link actually knew all fifteen or so of them, but he recognized their expressions. He had worn something similar on his own face, and he remembered seeing Orca with one just like it. Fear and misery. Misery, because they had just been separated from their families and would not see or hear from them again until they graduated some twelve years later. Fear, because they knew once they stepped through those doors they wouldn't step back out of them again until they graduated. Twelve years of only seeing the sky through what few windows were in the building.

One, Link noticed, was already in tears as he followed the headmistress to the work room. Link felt bad for that one; the teachers preyed on tears like snakes on rats.

* * *

The day passed too quickly for Link. On the rare occurrence that he had almost his whole day off, he liked to spend his time writing. Very few of the students could even read, never mind write, but Link's mother had made sure to teach him everything she could before he had to take his aptitude test. So during his free time, he made sure to not forget what his mother had shown him how to do so long ago. His writing wasn't the neatest, but it was legible, and as Link wrote about anything that crossed through his mind he couldn't help but smile at the comfortable feeling that the scratching of pen on paper created in him.

But then the day passed, and the other students started to file into the dormitory. Link had to hide his pen and paper, which was always supplied by Grandpa, before the others saw it. There were always those looking to get on the headmistress' good side, and there was no better way to do that than to tattle-tail on one's fellow students. Another thought suddenly hit Link so harshly that he almost felt compelled to jot it down hurriedly before hiding his writing.

"Tattle-tail would be a fun name for some sort of mythical creature. Like a little flying thing or something, that can talk."

He felt ridiculous after writing that down, but it was written nonetheless and so he stowed the stuff behind a loose panel on the wall near his bed before returning to his slouched over sitting position.

"Ed, did you just sit here all day?" one of the students asked. Link couldn't for the life of him remember his name, but he was in the same year as Link. "You should've joined us, we spent all day messing with the freshmen."

Another student laughed happily. "It was great! Today was harvest day, so we kept turning over their baskets and stuff."

Link glanced over at the freshmen that were now filing into the room. They looked exhausted, and most of them were shuffling as if trying to avoid moving their backs too much. Link recognized that type of movement; he had tried that trick of shuffling around himself, but it never really worked. Whenever students did something the teachers didn't like, they ended up usually being hit across the back a few times with a sharp whip. After having spent over ten years at school, Link already had several scars of his own to remind him of his childhood escapades.

"Do you ever wonder where the stuff goes?" Link finally asked the two boys that had been talking to him.

They glanced at each other. "Where what goes?"

"The plants. Maybe they deliver them somewhere or something... like on a route!"

"What are you even talking about?" one of them scoffed.

"Never mind." Link flopped down onto his bed, but his mind was rushing with ideas. Could that be it? Did they deliver the plants somewhere, along the route that the headmistress was trying to plan? But then that meant the rebels were trying to stop this delivery. A cold feeling settled in his stomach. What were the plants used for?

As the dormitory began to settle down and most of the students fell asleep, Link could just make out the silent sounds of someone trying to muffle their sobs. He felt a pang of sympathy and quietly climbed out of bed before heading towards the sounds. He found one of the new students, the one he had noticed before, huddled under his blankets and shaking with tears.

"Hey," Link whispered.

The little boy looked up at him. He had a long face, and eyes that looked almost yellow along with a touch of grey mixed in with them. His dark hair clung to his face in damp clumps.

"My name is Eddo." Link knew that the only way to feel a little better about this place was to know you actually knew someone there. A name could be a very powerful thing.

The little boy wiped at his eyes and glared at Link.

"Hey, don't worry about me, kid. I'm not into pranks. Just wanted to introduce myself." Link gave him a smile and then started to head back to his bed. Before he could make it he noticed Orca sneaking into the room.

"Hey, Ed," Orca whispered, gesturing at him.

"Were you gone this whole time?" Link asked.

"You have such great observational skills, Eddo," Orca replied dryly. "Check out what Grandpa gave me."

Orca pulled out from under his shirt a treasure so rare that Link felt his jaw drop when he saw it. In Orca's hands was a book. It was small, and probably just a children's book, but Link eagerly reached out to touch it anyway.

"Come on!" Orca quickly hid the book again and began to pull Link out of the room.

They met Grandpa in one of the smaller passageways; it was, Link noticed, the same one that he and Grandpa had used the other day to sneak around.

Grandpa greeted Link with a large, toothy grin.

"Hey, Grandpa."

Orca quickly shoved the book into Link's hands. "You do it, I'm not that good yet."

Link didn't argue as he held the book up under what little light there was from Grandpa's candle. He looked at the title, and took a brief second to admire how the letters spiraled around and seemed to entangle themselves into one another to form words. Finally he cleared his throat and began to read the title aloud. "The-"

Suddenly Grandpa gripped Link's shoulder. Looking at where he was pointing, Link and Orca spotted one of the freshmen lurking near the corner, trying to stay out of sight. Link recognized him as the little boy he had just tried to talk to.

"Wait here," Link whispered to the others, handing the book back to Orca. The little boy shrunk towards the wall as Link drew closer, as if he was trying to go through the thick stone and disappear from sight.

"Hey, it's me, Eddo, remember?"

The little boy glared up at Link suspiciously.

Link knelt down and grinned at the boy. "Can you keep a secret?"

The little boy looked around nervously, back towards the dormitory. Another glare grew on his face the longer he stared at the room they were supposed to be sleeping in. Finally he looked back at Link and nodded quickly.

"Good. Come on."

Orca shifted uncomfortably as Link and the little boy returned together. "You sure about this, Ed?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Link replied as Grandpa waved at the youngest boy. The child waved back uncertainly. "That's Grandpa," Link explained as he sat back down on the floor. The little boy cast a curious look at the eldest Hylian but then shrugged and joined Link and the others on the floor.

"Ok then," Link started. "Let's try this again." He picked up the book. "The-" Grandpa once again put a hand on Link's shoulder. "What?"

Grandpa pointed at the little boy, who stared back at him nervously.

"Oh." Link turned to the boy. "He wants to know your name."

The little boy sighed. "Byrne."

Grandpa smiled and waved again.

"Can we get going now? The night hours are wasting away here."

No one protested, and so Link started to read the title again. "The Carnival of Time." Link turned to the first page, relishing at the sound and feel of the paper in his hands. "Each year, the season of harmony begins..."

* * *

Daylight was just beginning to sneak its way up on them when Link finally finished. Byrne was curled up at Link's side, fast asleep, but Orca and Grandpa were still wide awake, listening to the final last words with sparkling eyes and smiles on their faces.

"I wonder how old that story is," Orca commented as they started to stand. Grandpa quickly lifted Byrne up and started to carry him back towards the dormitory.

"It _sounds_ old," Link replied as they followed Grandpa. "It's amazing it managed to survive this long."

"But the book looks new. Maybe someone is reprinting them?"

Link shrugged, but the idea excited him. Was that a real job? Finding old stories and putting them in new, undamaged books? He suddenly started to picture himself doing that, and the longer he thought about it the more he liked it. He could be Eddo, the savior of old stories. Or... maybe Eddo, the hero of legends! Link nodded to himself; that was a much catchier title. Maybe he could even put that on a sign in front of his shop.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4: Graduation

**So, here's that long chapter I promised you to make up for the shorter one last time. I think it might be a bit _too_ long, actually, but oh well.**

* * *

Chapter Four

Graduation

On one particular morning, Link found himself not being awoken by what usually woke up him - a spear being driven into him by the monster in the shadows - no, this time, Link was awoken by his teachers. They yanked him out of bed, and for a while, as they pulled him down the hallway and the other students followed, he groggily wondered what he had done wrong.

But then, as they approached the big double doors and Grandpa waved at him before throwing them open, Link realized what was going on. He was finally graduating. The headmistress shoved him outside. His eyes widened at the sight of the city not too far off, the first real sight he had ever had of it. The voice of the headmistress made him turn back around.

"You have now reached your eighteenth birthday," she said sharply.

Link noticed Orca giving him a thumb's up and mouthing the words happy birthday; Byrne, who was much taller than when he had first arrived, was standing close to Orca and staring at Link with wide, anxious eyes.

"You have therefore graduated," the headmistress continued. "Congratulations. Find a job, and serve your king to the best of your ability."

Link wanted to say goodbye to his friends, but before he could even open his mouth the doors slammed shut. He was outside and separated from the others. Turning around, he looked down the gravel path that led to the city; it spiraled down a long hill, reminding Link that they weren't actually in the city, but along its outskirts. He had a muddled memory of climbing up that hill twelve years ago, his short legs burning from the long walk. Now, today, he finally took his first step on real earth again, back down the way he had come.

As he headed towards the flashing lights and distant sounds of the city, his mind rushed with what he should do first. Find a job? He wanted to open his own shop though; how did one do that, exactly? Should he try to find his mother? He couldn't even remember if they had actually lived in the city or not though. He could vaguely recall the smell of some sort of fruit, and the sound of trees rustling in the wind, so maybe they hadn't lived in the city after all. He gave a frustrated sigh. What was he supposed to do? What did the ones who had graduated before him done?

Then he remembered Orca, and the promise he had made. Feeling better now that he had a goal, he walked more purposefully towards the city. The very first thing he had to do was find Sturgeon and check on him for Orca. That meant finding the scholar's school and trying to figure out if anyone there knew where he had gone after graduation.

As he continued to walk, there were several moments when he thought he had finally reached the city. At one point the road turned from gravel and loose stone to paved asphalt, and there were more buildings around him, and he thought he was finally inside the city. But then, a while later, the buildings suddenly grew taller, and the sounds of people talking everywhere surrounded him, and _then_ he thought he was in the city. It wasn't until he actually entered the city that he realized how ridiculous he had been being all those other times.

Buildings towered over him, blocking out the sun when the thick layer of smog and dust didn't. People swarmed around him, most were Hylians, but a few were Gerudo, and those were the ones that really stood out in their stylish robes that looked new and not tattered like most of what the Hylians were wearing. They also wore veils, just as the teachers had done in the work room when the smell of the plants had gotten too bad. Link breathed in deeply, curious if the smell was really that bad. He didn't detect any oder that was particularly stronger than anything else, but the action of taking in such a deep breath had him gagging and coughing all the same.

Realizing it must be the smog doing that, Link decided it would be best to breathe as shallowly as possible.

Then there were the lights, and the noise. Lights flashed all around him, from the buildings, from the cars that raced above him, and it was all scattered into weird patterns by the thick smog. The noise, too, sounded almost muffled, just like the light looked, but that didn't keep his ears from ringing after just a few seconds of listening to it all. People shouting at each other, cars blaring their horns, dogs barking, all mixed together into one large mass of near-deafening sound.

Wincing at it, Link quickly continued to press on. Signs pointed down several different roads, each claiming to lead somewhere else: the Hylian district, the merchant sector, the Gerudo residences, and, finally, the scholar's school.

Feeling overwhelmed and confused, Link quickly turned down that road. There were still more people here, shoving past each other as they tried to get to where they were going. Eventually Link came upon a large group of Hylians that were refusing to move out of his way. He ended up having to duck down an alleyway and move over to the next road. His heart was beating heavily in his chest as he tried not to panic at having to take this detour.

"All I have to do is go down here, move down a bit more, and then find another alleyway to cut across again. Then I'll be back on the right road. Right? Right."

As soon as Link emerged from the alleyway, however, he found himself in the merchant sector. It was quite obvious that this was what it was, as there were several stalls lining the street with an assortment of foods, clothes, and other necessities. Deeper in, past the stalls, were shorter buildings with signs on them, labeling themselves as restaurants for the Gerudo. The smells from those buildings had Link's stomach growling. He passed several stores that emitted the scent of fresh bread and baked sweets. With a pang of regret, Link remembered he didn't have any money. Resolving to come back here the minute he did, he pressed on.

"Hey there!" a voice shouted; it was directed at him, his long, pointed ears picked up on that right away. Turning, Link spotted a stout, older woman waving at him from the steps of her store.

"Hi!" Link greeted back brightly, glad to have finally talked to someone.

"I can tell a graduate when I see one," the woman said cheerfully as Link stepped closer. "I could use a new worker, had to fire my last one."

"Actually, I-"

The woman leaned forward. "Don't say no, kiddo; you won't find another opening in this district, and then you'll get stuck working for some Gerudo. You don't want that, trust me."

Link glanced up at the shop's sign. "Sera's Sundries. What sort of shop is that?"

The woman clapped her hands together. "And you can read! Get in here, kid, before someone murders you for being a rebel!"

"But I'm not-"

"Well they won't know that, now will they? What with you reading everything in sight. Now get in here!"

Before Link could even say "thanks, but no thanks," he was grabbed by the arm and yanked inside the store.

Instantly the smell of the city disappeared and was replaced by a thick scent of lavender and vanilla. As the door closed, the sounds outside were all but completely shut out.

Shelves lined the walls and were covered with toys, beautifully decorated boxes, and all sorts of other things that Link wasn't even sure of what they were supposed to be. The wooden floorboards creaked gently as the woman pulled Link deeper into the store. He brushed past some hanging decorations and jumped in surprise when they started to tinkle with quiet music.

"What are those?" Link asked.

"Wind chimes," the woman answered, still pulling him along. Finally they stopped at a counter, where, Link imagined, customers were supposed to pay for their things. "Now then, my name is Sera."

"I'm Eddo," Link said absentmindedly, still staring at his surroundings.

"Your job, for starters, will be to just make sure nobody steals anything. Think you can handle that?"

"Oh, well, actually," Link began, finally bringing his full attention back to Sera. "I have to find someone first."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes," Sera said casually, waving her hand dismissively. "You can track down your family after we close. I can take you to the register, they'll be able to to tell you where they are right away."

"Register? Well, actually, I'm not looking for my family just yet."

"No?"

Link shook his head. "I need to find a friend first."

"Oh?" Sera's eyes started to twinkle. "Well, whatever the case is, I'm sure the register will find her for you."

"Oh, no, this friend isn't a-"

"Of course, Eddo, of course. Now then, there's something you should know about the world, because you've obviously been shut out of it too long to have realized this yet: you never get offered a job, kid."

Link paused as he tried to process this. "But... you just did."

"Exactly! And that won't happen again, ever! Nobody's hiring anymore these days."

"But... you are."

"Exactly! So that's settled then."

"But-"

"Here." Sera reached under the counter and threw some clothes at him. "You'll get paid at the end of every month, but I'll give you half of what you'll get this month today, just so you have something."

"You mean I get paid?" Link asked excitedly, already thinking about stuffing his face full of wonderful cake and cookies.

Sera raised an eyebrow. "It's a job, kid. Of course you'll get paid. Now go get changed and then stand over there and look busy."

"But-"

"Now what!?"

"I want to open my own shop."

Sera's eyebrows rose so high on her face they disappeared behind her graying brown bangs. "What sort of shop?"

"A book shop," Link answered as he pulled on his new clothes over his old ones. He decided he would change properly later.

"A book...A book shop?" Sera suddenly burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh you are a funny one, dear."

"But-"

"Hun, the Gerudo don't allow Hylians anywhere near books. Well, unless they're scholars, but that's a totally different story."

"Oh." Link's shoulders slumped. "So it's like the school then."

"Of course it is. That's why they run the schools that way, so you get used to how the world works before you even have to set foot in it." Sera smiled gently at him. "Don't look so sad, dear. It was a nice idea."

"But what if-" Suddenly Sera gave him a hard whack across the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for!?"

"Don't you go getting anymore crazy ideas in that head of yours! If it involves books, throw it out of your noggin. What I want you to focus on is... oh!" Sera started to pat Link on the shoulder in agitation. "Look! Look! A Gerudo customer! I haven't had one in months! Lately it's just been random Hylians wandering in when they saw what I have through the windows! Oh! She looks rich, too!"

Link turned and spotted a young woman through the door window; she didn't look much older than himself and was meandering up the steps and towards the door with a thoughtful expression on her face, as if she wasn't quite sure what she was doing but wasn't about to let that stop her.

"Don't worry, Sera!" Link said. "I'll make sure she doesn't steal any- Ow! Stop hitting me!" Link shouted, rubbing at his head again.

"Don't watch her!"

"But that's what you hired me for- OW!"

"Just... just see what she wants! I'll stand over at the counter." Giggling happily, Sera raced over to the counter and then leaned against it casually, as if a Gerudo stepping into her store happened daily.

Link felt confused, but he did as he was told and ran back down the store to the door before waiting for the girl to enter. He stepped forward to welcome her. "Welcome to Sera's Sundries! What can I help you with?"

The Gerudo studied him, her eyes, while golden like every other Gerudo's he had seen, also had flecks of red scattered throughout her irises. She surveyed his face curiously before finally examining the store. "I was told I need a calendar. Do you have one?"

"A calendar? Um... let's see." Link started to walk along the nearest shelf, desperately looking for anything labeled as a calendar. He had no idea what that was and a part of him just wanted to go back to Sera and ask her, but he wasn't sure if was allowed to do that or not. Finally he realized he would have to figure out what a calendar was, and then hopefully he would be able to identify one. "So... why did someone say you needed a calendar, anyway?"

The girl sighed, and started to fidget with her long, dark red ponytail. "I forget what day it is," she finally answered, her voice marked by the strange Gerudo accent.

_"Forget what day it is._ _So... that must mean a calendar helps one keep track of days!"_ Link started to look around for something that looked like it had that purpose.

"If you do not have one, I can try another store," the girl said after a few minutes of unsuccessful searching.

"No, no! I'm sure we have one! A calendar sounds like a sundry sort of thing, don't you think?"

The girl nodded. "That is what I thought, as well."

Link finally turned to face the girl, only to find that she had been following him the entire time. "Do you know what it looks like?" Link asked quietly.

The girl tapped her chin thoughtfully with a long finger. Then she shrugged. "I am not sure. Perhaps I should try somewhere else."

As if sensing she was losing a customer, Sera suddenly came rushing down the store towards them. "Is there anything I can help you with, ma'am?"

"I require a calendar," the girl repeated.

"Of course! Follow me!"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Link trailed behind them sulkily as Sera led the way through the store. Finally she took down a thick scroll that was tied neatly with a thin piece of silk. "Here we are!"

The Gerudo's eyes lit up, and she quickly rushed over to the counter to pay for it. As soon as money had been exchanged and the calendar was in the girl's hands, she began to spin around, flinging her arms in the air until stopping short and holding the calendar above her head. "I have acquired a calendar!"

Link blinked a few times as he watched this; even Sera seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Um... what are you doing?" Link asked.

The girl lowered her hands and shoved the calendar into a pocket in the lining of the long cloak that was draped around her. "I am showing my new possession for all the world to see. That is what one is supposed to do, no?"

Link shrugged. "I guess." It didn't make much sense to him, but then again what did he know about shopping?

Sera remained oddly silent, only watching with wide eyes as Link started to show the Gerudo the way back to the door.

"What is your name?" the girl asked as Link opened the door for her.

"Eddo."

"Eddo..." the girl repeated awkwardly. "Hylian names are so hard to pronounce, but I like them."

"Thanks! What's yours?"

"Mine? Mine what? I have a calendar. That is mine."

"No, I mean what's your name?"

"Oh!" The Gerudo let out a small giggle; Link had never heard a Gerudo laugh before, but he found that he didn't dislike it. "Hadiya."

Then she was gone. As he closed the door behind her, Link repeated the name just as awkwardly as she had pronounced his.

"What a weird little thing," Sera commented as Link joined her back at the counter.

"I kind of like her. She's- OW! Ok, seriously!? What did I do this time!?"

"Whatever that teenage male brain of yours is thinking right now, put it out of your noggin!"

"What? I wasn't thinking anything!"

Sera rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Oh! Oh! Look! Another customer! They must have seen the Gerudo girl leaving! This is going to do wonders for business! Quick, make sure he doesn't steal anything!"

Link sighed as he watched the new customer approach. This time, he noticed, it was a Hylian. "Why do I have to watch him and not the Gerudo? OW! Ok, ok, I'm going! Sheesh!"

* * *

As evening fell, Sera showed Link how to go about securing the store so no one could break into it at night. Boards were fitted against any windows, and the drawer that held the day's profits was locked with something that required a fingerprint to open.

"What if someone chops off your finger?" Link asked curiously.

Sera raised an eyebrow at him. "You're a very morbid little thing, aren't you?"

"I was just wondering if it would work."

"Well, it wouldn't," she replied, though her expression looked disturbed. "Come on, time to get going. I'll show you to the register."

The day had been so long Link had nearly forgotten about the register. Eager to finally find Sturgeon, Link followed his new employer out of the store.

Link hadn't thought it was possible, but outside and close to dark the city was even louder.

"Everything's closing, why are there still people out?" Link shouted over the din.

Sera grimaced as she shoved her way between a group of Hylian men that were following a few Gerudo around. "This is the night crowd, Eddo," Sera shouted back. "Avoid it as much as you can."

Link didn't think he would have a problem obeying that particular order. As they pressed on through the market sector, he stuck as close to Sera as he could; the bulky woman was able to shove her way through crowds as if she were a boulder, and all Link had to do was stay behind her and keep up before the people closed around them again.

Finally they turned down a street, and the market was left behind. Link rubbed at his ears. "I think I'm going deaf now," he complained. Sera ignored him, and he wasn't sure if that was by choice or if she had already gone deaf herself. Thinking the latter rather ironic, he decided to believe that idea instead of thinking that she was ignoring him now, since that was just depressing.

They turned down another road, and Link caught a glimpse of a sign that read "Hylian district." He felt a thrill of excitement. He was soon going to be surrounded by all Hylians. His own people. He tried to imagine what that was like. In school they had outnumbered the Gerudo teachers by quite a large number, but the women's presence were so large that they had barely noticed that fact. Now, though, there would be no Gerudo around him. All Hylians. A grin began to form on his face as he tried to picture it. Ideas of the kind of decorations they might have, the statues of Hylians, the unique clothes they might be wearing.

Then they entered the area, and Link's dreams fell to the ground. He stopped short, staring in horror at the shacks that now surrounded him, the trash that covered the crumbling road, and the people. They were Hylian, they couldn't deny that with their pointed ears, but the clothes they wore were tattered, and their faces were... resigned. Link couldn't come up with any other word to describe them. They were resigned to living here, to this fate of the Gerudo living so much better than them, in the buildings that towered over their own deteriorating homes.

Only a few people were dressed better, like Sera and himself, and Link could only guess that they had been lucky enough to find jobs in the merchant sector; but they, too, shared the depressed expressions of the others.

"Come on, kid," Sera said gently. "What were you expecting?"

"But... where's the clock?"

"The what?"

"For the carnival. And... the fountain."

Sera grabbed him roughly by the arm. "Just how many books have you read?" she hissed at him. "I told you to get all that out of your head before someone kills you."

Link looked at her with wide eyes. "I don't understand."

"Good grief, kid," Sera grumbled, releasing him and rubbing a hand over her face. "No wonder you didn't score into the scholar's school, eh? Come on, register is this way."

Sera led past several people that were just laying on the ground; they looked almost sickly, and Link's feeling of uncomfortableness increased the more he explored the area. Soon they walked up to a building that wasn't in quite as bad a condition as the others around it. At least the door didn't look like it was about to fall off its hinges at any moment.

They stepped inside a small room and were instantly greeted by a friendly looking young woman sitting behind a tall desk; she had long green hair that looked like it had been colored that way on purpose, as it's very roots were more of a brownish color. Sitting on the desk beside the woman was a large, grey cat, its head held high in a pride that only cats were capable of. Behind the woman and her cat was a large, dark blue curtain that hid the entire back wall; the rest of the room was completely bare.

"Hi there, can I help you?" the woman asked, her amber eyes smiling warmly as she stroked the cat. "Do you have an appointment?"

"This fellow just graduated," Sera said, nodding at Link.

"Ah! Congratulations and condolences, kid! Who do you want to find?"

Link stepped forward, closer to the counter that the woman was sitting behind. "Um... do you know where a Hylian named Sturgeon is? He should have graduated from the scholar's school about a year ago."

"Sturgeon... Sturgeon...let's see..." the woman pulled out a thin, note-pad sized computer screen before tapping at it with long nails. The cat shot her an annoyed look at her for no longer petting it. "Here he is! Oh..."

"Oh?" Link repeated nervously.

"Well, his file has been classified." The woman shrugged. "Sorry, hun."

"But... what does that mean?"

"Means the Gerudo don't want you to know what he's doing. My guess is he's probably still up at the school, working on some research or something. That's usually where the really good students up there end up."

"So... he's still at the school?"

"Don't get so excited, they won't let you visit, even if he has graduated. Anyone else you want to look up?"

Link was so preoccupied with trying to come up with a plan on how to see Sturgeon that it took him a while to remember he still had to find his mother. He gave the receptionist his only living relative's name, and then waited as the young woman tapped away at the screen.

She blinked at it a few times, and then glanced up at Link nervously. "Oh..." she said finally.

"What? Is she classified now, too?" Link joked.

"No... sorry, hun, but it looks like she passed away four years ago."

"Oh."

Sera placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he barely noticed it. He couldn't think of anything else to say; in fact, he really couldn't think of anything at all. His mind felt numb, and it took the ground rumbling underneath him to wake it up again. Blinking out of his stupor, he noticed that everyone else had noticed the rumbling, too. Sera and the receptionist were already racing out of the room. Link quickly followed. Once outside, he spotted all the Hylians were staring up at the sky. Joining them, he soon spotted what they were looking at. Smoke, rising up from behind the larger buildings, and the strange glow of a large fire.

"That's the market!" he heard Sera exclaim.

Looking back down, he caught sight of the large woman darting back the way they had come. Without even hesitating, Link followed after her. The streets were oddly more empty this time around, and he had no problem navigating through the streets. All the same, Sera was practically flying back to her store, and Link didn't catch up to her until she had stopped at the market. She was dropped to her knees, and Link quickly spotted why she looked so distressed. The entire square was up in flames. Where once there were buildings there were now only piles of rubble. Hylians were running everywhere, tossing buckets of water onto the fires. Their actions had little effect, but that didn't stop them or the nearby Gerudo guards.

"Sera, we should get out of here, it might be dangerous," Link said over the shouting of people and the roaring of the flames.

"Oh, Eddo, that's everything I have in those flames."

Link looked back at where the shop used to be helplessly. "I'm sorry."

"Oh just get out of here, Eddo. I can't do anything else for you now that it's gone."

Link looked at her in shock. "I can't just leave you here."

"Leave me alone, Eddo!"

Link's shoulders slumped, and he started to feel frustrated at himself for not being able to help his friend. Then, suddenly, Link got an idea. It was stupid, he knew it was, but he found himself starting to carry it out as if on impulse. Ignoring Sera's startled exclamation, he raced towards Sera's Sundries. The flames tried to catch him, but he moved so fast he barely felt them. He crashed into the only part of the store that was still standing and made his way to where he remembered the counter to be. The entire checkout area was demolished, and Link spotted several coins scattered all about the floor, the face of Ganondorf that was stamped on each one glittered brightly in the flames. With sweat pouring down his face, Link scooped up as much of the money as he could and then raced back to the exit.

Before he could reach it, however, a piece of the roof slid down. It was burning with thick tongues of fire and after it landed it was an impenetrable wall of heat and thick wood. Smoke swirled around him, filling his lungs. Desperately, Link retraced his steps and then started to climb part of the demolished back wall. The sky, though also filled with smoke, could be seen through a narrow hole between the wall and the rest of the roof. Scrambling up and over, Link let himself drop back to the ground on the other side. He breathed in the fresher air, coughing harshly every time he tried to fill his burning lungs.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Sera shouted above him.

Link snapped his eyes open, not remembering when he had let them close.

"Quit napping on the job! Come on, before the whole place collapses on top of you!"

Sera yanked him to his feet, rolling her eyes when he offered her her money. "You idiot," she grumbled, but she grabbed the money from him all the same. Then they were running, back out of the sector.

They stopped running only when the flames were far enough away that the air started to feel cool again. "What were you thinking? You could've died!" Sera scolded as Link doubled over, leaning against his knees and gasping for air. "For crying out loud, risking your own life for someone you don't even really know... Where'd you get that stupid courage from anyway?"

Link was about to shrug when his left hand suddenly began to burn. Crying out, Link collapsed onto his knees, clutching at his hand.

"What is it?" Sera asked, alarmed.

Only when the burning sensation faded to a dull throbbing pain did he let go of his hand to look at it. There, just beneath the skin, was a glowing symbol. It was of three triangles stuck together in such a way that there was another, fourth triangle, in the middle of the symbol and upside down.

As Link stared at it, he couldn't help but have a strange feeling of deja vu. It was the same exact symbol he had seen on Ganondorf's hand in his dreams, the one that had appeared whenever he blurted out his real name to him. It was, as Link had come to know it in his dreams, the symbol of stupid courage.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great weekend! By the way, if you're looking for something else to read, I recommend Courageous Innocence, by Rosa Bella Mortiferum. It's a rewrite of Ocarina of Time, and the author is trying to give the characters deeper personalities and more details. It's really awesome so far, so I encourage you to check it out!**

**Also, a shout-out to all you graduates out there! Congrats! :-) **


	6. Chapter 5: Tips and Advice

Chapter 5

Tips and Advice

"Eddo! Stop daydreaming over there and get back to work! There's a customer!"

Link quickly snapped his journal closed and slid it under the counter before racing to the door. "Got it, Sera!" he shouted back, adjusting his gloves as he searched for the customer. "How can I help you?" Link asked as soon as he spotted her; another Hylian woman, which was the typical customer the store got unless a man was looking for birthday or anniversary gifts, was wandering lazily about the store.

"I could use a music box, for my daughter. She's graduating tomorrow."

"Ah! Congratulations and condolences! Right this way," Link said as he led the woman expertly through the store to where their cheaper music boxes were held.

When Sera had used the money Link had rescued for her to rebuild her shop, she had let Link have a say in its layout. Now he knew exactly where everything was, especially since he had spent the months it had taken to rebuild it memorizing the new blueprints. After every last item had been restocked, Sera had given Link a proud smirk, commenting that Sera's New Sundries looked much better than the old one. After that she had given him a hard whack to the back of his head and warned him not to let her compliment go to his head.

The other event from that night all those months ago, of when he had developed the strange "burn" on his hand, was never talked about. Sera warned him that such burns weren't exactly natural looking, and might attract unwanted attention. So he wore gloves when working, and tried to figure out what it could mean on his own when he wasn't. It was either that or sleep, and he was still plagued with the usual nightmares.

The day passed with comfortable ease, just like almost every other day. As they were closing up, Sera turned to look at Link with a smile on her face. "Eddo, tomorrow I'd like you to run the shop on your own for a few hours."

Link paused in his task of blocking the windows. "...Why?"

"What's the matter, don't think you can do it?" Sera teased.

"No, it's not that, I just-"

"My daughter is graduating tomorrow; I want to be there when she's thrown out."

Link grinned. "I didn't know you had a kid."

"You never asked," Sera sniffed.

"What school did she go to?" Link asked as he started back in with the windows.

"Worker's, of course, just like her parents," Sera said proudly.

"Well tell her happy eighteenth birthday from me," Link said casually as he walked over to lock the money drawer.

Sera sighed wearily. "Sometimes I think you never get out, Link. Girls graduate earlier than boys, everyone knows that."

"Really? Why?"

A sparkle of mischief appeared in Sera's eyes, and Link prepared himself for an untruthful answer. "Because girls are just better than boys. So there." She promptly stuck her tongue out at the younger Hylian before nearly skipping out of the store in her excitement for what tomorrow would bring.

Link just laughed. He had seen Sera happy before, but never this happy. It was rather refreshing. Doing another quick recount of their money, and then making sure his journal was stored in the drawer along with their coins, Link slammed the drawer shut and locked it. Their new counter was all metal, and would be able to survive fire, and if they were lucky any explosions. Link had forsaken five of his pay days - and both he and Sera had skipped five month's worth of lunches - to pay for that counter. It was worth it, in Link's opinion. Even though Link had managed to save enough during the last fire to get them going again, it hadn't been all of Sera's savings and what was left behind had melted into the ground.

They trooped back sleepily to the Hylian district. Even though it was, in Link's opinion, a worse place to live than the school, at least it was safe from any explosions. The rebellion never attacked the Hylian district, and they had yet to even accidentally kill a Hylian; even when they had targeted the market the only casualties had been Gerudo. Link didn't agree with their methods, as he felt there had to be a better way than targeting random Gerudo citizens, but he had to admit that at least they didn't target their own kind. It was still unclear why they had attacked a bunch of empty shops, but Link had a feeling it had something to do with those plants, and the route he had overheard the headmistress talking about when he had been playing spy with Grandpa. He rubbed absentmindedly at his gloved left hand, wondering if things would ever make sense.

Stepping over the sick people that had been tossed out of their own homes by either their families that couldn't care for them, or by the Gerudo because they were too weak to pay their taxes, Link and Sera soon reached their own home. Because of the rising cost of housing, and the fact that the population of Hylians was holding fairly steady despite all the disease running rampant in their district, Sera and Link had agreed to live together for a while. It was never stated how long "a while" was, and Link was just as eager to move out to a house of his own as much as Sera was to kick him out.

"Good night, Ed," Sera said tiredly as she climbed up the crumbling steps to her bedroom.

"Good night," Link called back, flopping down onto the sofa in the living area. At least now he understood why Sera hadn't let him have the other bedroom; she had been saving it for her daughter. Link chuckled as he remembered his own confusion over why she was making him sleep on the couch. His conclusion had been that Sera was just insane, and then he had wondered what Orca would come up with, since they usually theorized about strange happenings together. With a sigh, Link tried to hold onto his memories of Orca before he fell asleep. It didn't work, however, and as soon as he slipped into unconsciousness, his dream turned away from his friend to face the monster in the shadows.

* * *

"And don't forget to _greet_ people when they come in, Ed!" Sera continued on and on, fussing over everything in the store.

Link grinned. "Sera, it's just for a few hours. I promise it'll still be standing when you get back. Now would you go? You're gonna miss it!"

Sera huffed at him and then glanced at her wrist watch. "Almost five already! You're right!"

"Good luck, Sera!" Link called after the woman as she raced out of the store.

He shook his head after her and then continued to open up the shop. As he pulled the boards from the front windows, he spotted movement outside. Red and white flashed through the square, and as Link made his still bleary eyes focus on it he recognized a young Gerudo walking briskly across. Then he frowned; the Gerudo was young, and looked very familiar. It took him a few seconds to place her, but when he did it was when he pictured her twirling around and showing off her calendar for all the world to see.

With a smile, Link raced to the door and swung it open. "Hey! Hadiya!"

The girl stopped short and looked at him. She frowned, taking just as long to recognize Link as he had taken with her.

"Eddo!" she called back, waving briskly. She raced over to him. "I did not know you still worked here! I thought you would be fired for sure."

"Yeah... thanks. Care to buy something? We have more calendars."

"No, thank you though. I still have mine, see?" Hadiya pulled out the calendar from her long white cloak and unfurled it.

"Neat."

"Where is the owner? Sera?"

"Picking up her daughter. She's graduating today."

"I see! How fun! Hylian graduation ceremonies are so exciting. A bit short, though."

Link nodded slowly in agreement. "They are a bit short."

Hadiya smiled. "You are funny. I think I will come in after all."

"Great! Have a look around, if there's anything you want I'll give you half off."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

Link paused. "I don't see why not. Sera does it all the time with the bakers across the street."

"Ah, but I am not a baker," Hadiya commented as she brushed past Link and entered the store.

"Yeah, that's true. Fine then, you can pay full price if you want."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Link let the door close behind him and went back to opening the rest of the windows. He kept an eye on Hadiya as she meandered idly about the store, staring at each item curiously. Every so often she would ask what something was, and Link was able to answer easily. He felt much less ridiculous this time around compared to the last time he had tried to help the Gerudo. At least this time he knew what a calendar looked like.

"And this? What is this?"

Link, who had been busy rearranging some flowers, glanced over at where she was standing. He froze. She was behind the counter, waving his journal at him.

"That..." Link began uncertainly. "That's..."

"This writing..." Hadiya said curiously as she leafed through some of the pages. "It is not Gerudo."

"It's..."

Hadiya was now staring at him again, her expression unreadable.

"Uh... well it's not for sale," Link said quickly as he rushed over and snatched the book away from her.

"Oh. Then maybe you should not have left it out."

Link's face looked confused as he watched her continue to explore the store. He glanced down and saw the drawer, which he had unlocked first thing in the morning, was laying open. He knew he hadn't done_ that_. He slid the journal back into the drawer before slamming it shut and locking it again. Then he sat at the chair behind the counter, pleading with his heart rate to return to normal. She wasn't rushing out to tell a guard that they had a book, in fact by the way she was now playing with a wind chime it seemed like she had already forgotten about it. Swallowing thickly, he rechecked that the drawer was locked before standing up again and keeping a better eye on his customer.

"I think I will buy this peculiar musical instrument," Hadiya said finally, picking up a wind chime and carrying it gently to the counter.

"Ok. Great." Link quickly took the appropriate amount of money from her before forcing a smile on his face. "Have a good day."

"Oh, and you as well!" Hadiya started to leave when she suddenly stopped in mid-step and turned slightly. "You know, a good story should start with a poem."

Link felt his vision narrow and a wave of dizziness passed over him. She _did_ read it. But then... why wasn't she reporting him? She was already reaching out for the handle when he called out for her to stop. "Wait!" Link rushed around the counter and took a few steps closer. "Um... listen..."

"I will not tell anyone that you can write. I find it curious that you can, since you are clearly not a member of the rebellion, but I will not tell."

"Why not?" Link asked, more curious now that his sense of danger was beginning to fade.

Hadiya shrugged. "Because you are funny. By the way, you spelled atrocious wrong. In fact, your spelling of that word was just... atrocious." Another smile, and then she was gone; the door closing shut quietly behind her.

Link watched her go from the window, a stunned expression on his face. Finally he moved back to the counter, unlocked the drawer, and pulled out his journal.

"Atrocious... I did not," Link grumbled to himself as he flipped to the page she was talking about. His face fell when he realized that she was right. Muttering under his breath, he carefully took his pen and fixed the word. "Lousy... Miss Know-it-all..."

Slapping the book shut, he studied the still blank cover. Months of writing and he still couldn't come up with a good title for it. He tapped his pen against it, hoping something good would pop into his head.

_"A good story should start with a poem."_

He rolled his eyes, forcing Hadiya's voice from his mind. "It's an action and adventure novel, not some girly thing," he grumbled in response before slipping it back into the drawer and locking it again. It might be a hassle to have to unlock it every time he needed to open it, but until Sera was back and able to sit at the counter all day he would just have to deal with it or else risk someone else finding his book. As he went back to work, he directed most of his thoughts to trying to figure out how a Gerudo could actually read what he had written. The entire thing had been in Ancient Hylian.

* * *

Beth. That was her name. Link hated her already. Well, perhaps hate was too strong of a word, but he really couldn't think of anything different at the moment. At the very least, she made him feel very uncomfortable.

The young sixteen year old had come bounding into the store ahead of her mother, looking almost like an exact, but younger and skinnier version, of Sera. Link had, innocently enough, tried to greet the family with some flowers. Then things had gone sort of down hill from there. Beth had grabbed the entire bouquet as if they were all for her, given him a wink - either that or her face was just twitchy, but Link got the feeling it wasn't - and then run off. Sera, in the mean time, had already given Link a hard whack on the back of his head.

"What did I do now, Sera?" Link asked worriedly.

"You're such an idiot sometimes, Ed. You really are." Then Sera had gone back to her counter, chuckling to herself.

Now Link was back to working, but Beth was following him around everywhere as if she were a puppy. He supposed he couldn't really blame her, he was, after all, the first boy close to her age she had probably ever seen, and he was, if he did say so himself, rather good looking, but... Link grimaced and wished Sera had been around to warn him that girls really liked flowers earlier. He realized that he probably should've told her of his plan before she left, but then he had wanted to surprise the _both_ of them.

"What do you do for fun? What's your favorite type of pet? Do you like cats?" Questions such as these hounded him everywhere he went, and all the while Sera was just sitting at her counter, laughing at the miserable expression on Link's face. "What's your favorite meal?" Beth asked. "Oh! Oh! Ed! I could cook you your favorite meal! I don't mind at all! I'd like to! Is it cucco? Stew? Come on, tell me!"

"Um... I really don't know."

"Oh come on, you have to have a favorite!"

"I do?"

Beth nodded at him eagerly.

"I guess... in that case, I am rather fond of cake."

Beth's face fell. "Cake?"

"...Yes?"

Beth slapped him on his upper arm.

"Ow! Sheesh, you're just like your mother!"

"That's not a meal, Ed! That's just dessert!"

"Oh."

Beth rolled her eyes at him and then stormed off to join her mother.

* * *

Weeks of this passed, until finally Link decided he would ask for what he had been planning to ask ever since he heard that Sera's daughter would also be working at the store with them. Granted, she wasn't very good at her job, but Link felt she would be enough help to Sera that he could ask for his first day off in nearly a year.

"A day off?" Sera repeated after he had asked her. Beth was already upstairs and sleeping, and he and Sera were just finishing up washing the dinner dishes.

"Just one," Link promised.

"Well of course you can, you've done a lot this past year! I'm just curious... what are you planning on doing?"

"Well... I made a promise to a friend back in school that I would check on his brother for him. I still have to do that."

Sera shook her head. "You idiot. You won't be able to get into the scholar's school, you know that."

"But if he's not a student then maybe he'll wander outside every once in a while," Link argued. "At the very least I'm sure there's some sort of groundskeeper like our school had Grandpa, to take care of stuff outside of the school. I could always just ask him, he'll probably know Sturgeon."

"Well it sounds like you've given this a lot of thought," Sera said uncertainly. "And it's your day off, so do what you want. Just be careful. The scholar's school is probably the only school the Gerudo actually take care of, and they don't take kindly to random Hylians wandering around in places they like, especially with that disease that's been spreading even more lately."

Link nodded. "No worries, Sera, I'll be careful."

Sera groaned. "Why does that make me more nervous? Hey, look at me. None of that stupid courage of yours, ok?"

"No stupid courage," Link repeated with a grin.

Sera sighed. As she started to climb up the stairs, Link heard her grumbling to herself, "Why do I even bother?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6: Plain Old Fashioned Stupid

**Oh noes! Another short chapter! Why can't I get the lengths to be the same!? Oh well...**

**A big big thank you to Frank Hunter for reviewing, and to the person who favorite-ed! You guys are awesome, and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far! **

* * *

Chapter 6

Plain Old Fashioned Stupid

Link left first thing in the morning. Beth had watched him leave the breakfast table with a large pout on her face, but he did a rather good job at ignoring it as he slipped out of the house and away from the Hylian District. He felt a bit bad for lying to Sera about why he really wanted his day off, but he reminded himself - for the hundredth time - that he wasn't really lying, just not telling the entire truth.

He made a quick detour to the market and slipped into the store so he could grab his book first. Lifting it reverently from the drawer, he let his fingers trail along the words he had etched into the cover before slipping it into his shoulder bag where it came to rest next to the sandwich Sera had made for him. Then the drawer was locked once again and he was back out of the shop and on the road that led to the scholar's school. He would see what he could do there first, and then move on with his main task of the day.

Early morning was always his favorite time of day. In the school he had loved it because it meant he didn't have to try and sleep anymore, since it would be time to get up soon anyway, but it wasn't quite time to get up yet so he could just lie there and think and listen to the birds. Now it was his favorite time of day because the city was at its quietest. Most were still asleep or at the very least indoors and preparing to head out. There was also the smells from the bakeries as they prepared their goods for the day. Breathing in the scent of bread, Link let a smile grow on his face as he marched down the road he had tried to move down on his very first day in the city.

It wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been that day, and he had no problem moving down the road. Eventually the path led him out of the city. The buildings thinned out until they were replaced by long grass and a few trees scattered about. Then the road itself began to thin until it was just chunks of gravel. After a while the road began to wind around a large lake, and just on the other side of it Link spotted a large building. Assuming it was the scholar's school, Link picked up his pace.

As he drew closer, he noticed that this school looked much nicer than the worker's school; at least, it did from the outside, he imagined it was probably pretty similar on the inside. Gardens with flowers and fruit trees were scattered all around him as he approached the large double doors. The walls looked freshly painted, and the roof didn't look like it was going to collapse at any moment like the roof from his school did. He let his face reveal how impressed he was with it for only a moment before quickly knocking on the doors and forcing his expression back into a neutral one.

Minutes passed before the doors were opened. A round, cleanly shaven head with large, blue eyes poked its way between the doors and stared at Link.

"Yes?" the man asked impatiently.

"I was hoping to talk to one of your recent graduates," Link began.

The man raised his eyebrows at Link, but didn't say anything.

Link took this as a sign to continue. "He's supposedly still working here. His name is Sturgeon."

"You... are a relative?"

"No, just a friend."

"A friend. I see. What is your name? I can let him know you're here."

"Oh, well, actually he doesn't really know me. See I know his brother, and-" The doors were closed with a loud clang. "Excuse me!" Link shouted, knocking again.

"Get lost!" the man shouted back.

Link sighed. "Idiot," he grumbled to himself. "You should've just said your name was Orca." He took a few steps backwards and tried to peer into the building through the nearest window. Thick curtains blocked his view.

With another sigh, Link turned and started to leave. Sturgeon was in there somewhere, and from what he could tell was pretty well protected. He had done his duty, and now he could do his next task. With a small, excited, and uncontainable hop, Link set off back down the road towards the city again.

Halfway there, a small group of large vans flew over his head. He watched them go, recognizing them as Gerudo guard vans. Those things were usually only seen when there was a rebel attack going on that they had to deal with, since they were pretty much invulnerable to everything.

As the cars flew past him a strange scent filled his nostrils. It was an almost nostalgic smell, despite the fact that it was putrid, and as Link breathed it in his mind was filled with fleeting images of the work room.

"That smell... it's those plants!" Link looked back up at the cars and watched them. They were headed straight towards the scholar's school. Again, he felt that cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. Just what were those plants being used for?

* * *

The deeper he delved into the Gerudo residence district, the more Link felt like he was being an absolute moron. He could feel them all staring at him the minute he passed, some angrily, and some... not quite so angry. It was those that freaked him out the most, as now that he had been in the city long enough he knew that one - especially a Hylian male - did not want to attract too much attention from Gerudo women. Still, he was here, and he had been planning to go there for days now ever since his book was finished, so he was determined to finish what he had started.

He spent hours searching, and he was just about to finally give up and try again another time when he finally spotted her. Hadiya. She looked, however, much different than when he usually saw her when she was wandering around the market. Her cloak was thrown back over her shoulders, revealing long, puffy white pants and a short, but same colored shirt that didn't quite cover her entire torso. Beyond that, she was also being followed by an entire entourage of Gerudo guards.

_"No stupid courage,"_ Sera's voice floated through his brain.

"But what if she's being arrested?" Link asked the air. Sera was silent, but he knew if she were actually there she'd be glaring at him right now. It was obvious she wasn't, as she appeared to leading the small troop of guards herself. Ignoring his mental image of his guardian, however, he stepped forward abruptly, waving at Hadiya to get her attention.

The young girl noticed him; he knew she did, as she stopped so short her guards nearly crashed into her. But then she continued walking before the other women could try to find out why she had stopped. Link frowned as Hadiya walked right past him, not even glancing at him as she went.

"What's that all about?" he asked. Feeling dejected, Link fidgeted with the strap of his bag before finally turning and heading back to his own home. Sera would be getting worried anyway.

On the way, the book that was safely hidden away in his large pouch felt suddenly heavier, as if it too was feeling depressed.

"Maybe she'll read you another time," Link said down to his bag. The book didn't feel any lighter.

Since it was already late evening, Link decided to cut through the alleyways instead of taking the main roads. It was a little more risky, but Link had filled out a bit since he had left the school and he didn't feel that anyone would bother him. Besides, at the moment, he didn't even care if someone were to steal his bag.

"There's nothing valuable in it anyway," he thought to himself. Instantly he regretted the thought, and he clutched his bag tighter to himself as if trying to hug the book in apology.

Soft footsteps behind him made him whirl around. Nothing was there. Feeling his heart start to beat faster, Link turned again and continued on his way, his pointed ears straining for even the slightest sound. A moment later he heard them again; more footsteps. But, just as last time, when he turned he saw nothing but an empty alleyway. Not even a stray cat digging in the trash met his eyes.

Gripping his bag even tighter, he continued to stare in the direction he had heard the footsteps. "Who's there?" he shouted. His own echo made him startle, and he mentally scolded himself for being so jumpy. Then there were more footsteps, and a shadow leaped across the alleyway.

Looking up, Link caught just a glimpse of someone jumping across the alley from the rooftops. His eyes widened as he tried to figure out why anyone would do that. Then there was another. This time Link was waiting for it, and he was able to catch more details. It was definitely a person, wrapped in white and dark blue cloth so tightly it looked more like a skin suit than a real outfit. Even his - or her, as Link couldn't really tell in the poor lighting and brief glimpse - head and face was completely hidden by more white and blue cloth. He watched as this person, and yet another who was similarly garbed, leaped across the alleyway.

Then curiosity got the better of his sense for survival, and he clumsily started to climb up the wall to get to the nearest roof. Up high, in his new vantage point, Link saw that all the rooftops of any building low enough were covered with these people. They leaped along the tops of the buildings as if they had been doing it all their lives, moving so quickly that Link could almost imagine they were just shadows flickering along. Then he noticed they were moving away from the Gerudo residences. He turned to look in that direction, the direction the shadows were fleeing. At first nothing happened, but then there was a bright flash of light. The ground shook, and Link was knocked from his feet.

He landed roughly on the shingled roof, skinning one of his elbows in his poor attempts to catch himself. A sharp wind blew past him, blowing heat and the smell of gunpowder into his face.

"Those people were... the rebels," Link whispered to himself. He wasn't expecting a response, but he got one anyway when one of the shadows suddenly landed in front of him.

"Yes, they were," a gruff voice said, muffled by the cloth around his mouth. Link looked up at the figure standing in front of him. He had just enough time to notice a dark red symbol drawn on the man's chest, a symbol that looked somewhat like an eye with a tear running down from it, before the man threw something at Link.

It landed by his side with a loud snap, and suddenly Link's eyes were assaulted by an intensely bright light. Unable to see anything, Link's next sensation was that of something very hard hitting him in the back of his head. It wasn't Sera's hand, as that was never very hard at all; no, this was much harder, and after a second or two Link felt his brain beginning to shut down.

The very last thing he heard was that of his very own imagined Sera from earlier. _"Link, that wasn't stupid courage... that was just plain old fashioned stupid."_

Link didn't want to, but he agreed with her. He decided that next time he saw people leaping around on the roofs, he wouldn't try to join them. Then darkness took over the bright light, and finally Link was aware of absolutely nothing.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 7: The Rebels

**A big thanks to the person who favorite-ed this! You're awesome!**

* * *

Chapter 7

The Rebels

Link first became aware of pain. His head was throbbing with it, and his skinned elbow wasn't feeling all that much better either. He tried to move his arm, in an attempt to find a better position for it, but for some reason he couldn't quite accomplish that. Peeling open one eye - he couldn't find the energy to open both - he glanced down and noticed that he was tied to a chair. His arms were each tied to thick wooden armrests, and the wound on his injured arm was being pressed right against the wood. Mystery as to why his arm was hurting so much and why he couldn't move it solved, Link let his eye slide back closed.

He tried to go back to sleep, as his head felt like it was being split in two, but then his ears picked up the hushed tones of two people. One woman and one man. Try as he might his sensitive ears wouldn't ignore the sounds, and so Link finally gave up on trying to go back to sleep. Instead, he put his focus on trying to hear what was actually being said.

"...would you bring him _here_? You should've just left him there!" the woman said. Her voice sounded rough, like she was used to giving orders and doubly used to being obeyed. The headmistress had a similar voice.

"I was, but then I searched his bag," the man said.

Link felt himself beginning to clear out the grogginess in his head now.

"I found this."

There was the sound of pages being flipped through, and Link inwardly winced. He just _had_ to take that with him, didn't he?

"What is this?" the woman asked. She sounded skeptical as the sound of the book being closed reached Link's ears. "Of Wisdom, Courage, and Power? What sort of title is that?"

Link snapped his eyes open. She could actually read it? He had thought he was the only Hylian that knew Ancient Hylian, but maybe his mother had taught others? Or maybe there had just been more than his mother who had known all those different languages? He squinted his eyes and tried to see where these people were. He was in a dark room, but from the dim lighting from somewhere behind him he saw that he was in a small room, and the two rebels were standing off in a dark corner as they conversed. He couldn't see any details besides the fact that they were dressed just as the other rebels Link had seen.

"And it starts with a poem," the woman continued dubiously. A moment of silence, then: "Not a very good one, either."

"Hey!" Link shouted. "I worked hard on that!"

The two looked over at him, and the woman approached briskly.

"Where did you get this?" she asked sharply, waving his book under his nose.

"I didn't _get_ it anywhere." Link retorted. "I _wrote_ it."

The woman knelt down so they were at eye level. Ice cold blue eyes peered into Link's, and from the wrinkles around them Link guessed that she had to be at least fifty or so. "What is your name?"

"Eddo. Now can I have that back, please? It _is_ mine."

"Eddo," the woman repeated, sounding as if she didn't quite believe him. "How do you know how to write?"

"I learned. Now can I please have it back."

"I don't believe you."

"Then pick a page. I'll read it to you." Link matched her glare.

"Fine," the woman snapped. She flipped through, finally settling on a random page and then showing it to him. "Read."

Link cleared his throat, taking a moment, as he always did, to admire the ancient letters. Even though he had written them, he still couldn't get over how beautiful they appeared. "The Sand Goddess-"

The book was closed before he could continue. Link sighed. "Oh come on, I didn't even get to the good part! See, I tried to mix Gerudo beliefs with Hylian literature techniques and symbolism. I thought it would be... an epic! Yeah! That's the word I've been looking for! Do you have any paper? I'd like to write it down in case I forget it again."

The woman stood and glanced back at the other rebel, who shrugged at her.

Turning back to Link, the woman sighed. "What are we supposed to do with you?"

"You could let me go," Link suggested.

"I don't suppose you'd like to join us?"

Link paused to consider this. "No thanks."

The man behind her snorted and then opened up a door Link hadn't noticed before. More light poured in from a hallway outside, and the walls jumped in color from grey to a beige.

"Wait here," the woman ordered before stepping out of the room along with her friend.

"Ok," Link called after her before the door closed again, leaving him in relative darkness again. "Don't lose my book!"

He waited for their footsteps to fade away before beginning to struggle with the ropes keeping his arms tight to the armrests. Stretching at them and trying to twist them in an effort to loosen them, Link worked at them until his wrists were rubbed dry and beginning to bleed. Still the ropes held tight.

"What is it with these things?" Link grumbled. He slumped back in his chair, tensing when the wood groaned under the sudden lurch of weight. "I hope this doesn't break on me... then I'll be stuck on the floor with-"

Link stopped mid-sentence and felt like hitting himself over the back of the head. "Oh. Stupid."

Gripping the armrests tightly in both hands, Link pulled at the wood itself. With very little effort the old wood splintered and broke, and soon his arms were reasonably free. Granted they were still tied to the armrests, but at least the armrests weren't stuck to the chair anymore, which meant he wasn't stuck to the chair.

Now that he could move his arms freely, he was able to work at the ropes easier. Soon both armrests fell to the floor with small thuds.

"Ha!" Link cheered for himself before realizing he was probably being too loud. He waited with bated breath for a second but no one came back into the room. So, cautiously, he moved to the door. Pulling it open, his eyes were struck by the return of the hallway's bright lights. Poking his head out, Link surveyed this new area. It was a hallway with beige colored walls and an old wooden floor, that stretched out in either direction and ended in closed doors both ways. Uncertain on which to pick, Link quickly slipped out and closed the door behind him before moving to one at random.

Just as he was opening it, he heard the one behind him opening. He turned sharply and froze when he saw the woman and the man from before. They seemed equally shocked at seeing him free.

"What do you think you're doing?" the woman asked him, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Escaping?"

"Well that's not-"

Link didn't let her finish; instead he flung himself into the room he had been about to enter and shut the door behind him. Then he turned again to face the new room, hoping to find something to block the door with. He paused when he noticed something very obvious about this particular room. It was filled with row upon row of tables and chairs, and each of these tables was covered with food, and each of the chairs was filled with rebels eating said food. Currently they were all staring at him in silence.

"Um..." Link began.

The woman's voice from out in the hallway reached his ears as she shouted at him through the door. "As I was saying, that's not the right way you should take if you want to escape."

* * *

Link was taken to a different room this time. It was bigger, and better lit, but just as sparse as the first room he had been in. Inside there was a long table, and two chairs, one on each side. Link was seated at the one furthest from the door while the woman sat across from him.

"Can I have my book back? You didn't lose it, did you?"

The woman cleared her throat. "Where did you learn how to write Ancient Hylian?"

"Where did you learn?" Link countered.

"I asked first," the woman said smugly.

"Actually, I asked a question first."

The woman gave a tired sigh. "We didn't lose it. Here." The woman snapped her fingers, and the man standing behind her handed her Link's book. She took it and then slid it across the table to him. "Happy?"

"A bit."

"Good. Now my turn. Where did you learn?"

Link supposed there was no harm in telling her; after all, his mother was already dead, so it wasn't like he was putting her in any danger. "My mother taught me."

"Your... mother?"

By the look in the woman's eyes, Link could tell that wasn't the answer she had been expecting. With an annoyed sigh, the woman continued. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Eddo."

Link saw the mask the woman was wearing shift slightly as she bit her lip. He felt like he was being studied, like he was some sort of puzzle that the woman just couldn't figure out, and she seemed the type that was used to solving puzzles easily.

"What was your father's name then?"

Link was honestly stumped on that. He imagined it wouldn't be Link, as that name came from his mother's side of the family. He had never met his father, and his mother had never spoke of him; he had always imagined he had died in some sort of glorious battle, though a battle against what he wasn't really sure. Finally he just shrugged.

"You're lying."

"I am not! Just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean-"

Suddenly the man behind the woman rushed forward and punched Link square in the jaw. "You're a spy for the Gerudo, aren't you!?" he shouted. "That's how you know how to read!"

"What?" Link rubbed at his sore jaw. Yet another pain to add to his growing list. "A _spy_? They have those?"

The two rebels looked at each other. Then the man gripped Link by his left hand and tried to pull him up. Link, with a rush of adrenaline and fear, felt his glove slip off. His left hand was bare, and the marking on it, while no longer glowing like it had been the first night it had appeared, was easily visible. He tried to tuck it into his side as he quickly stood on his own, but the woman had already stood up with a small gasp.

"Show me his hand," the woman said breathlessly.

Link tried to fight against the well muscled man that was now tightly pulling at his wrist, but he was already tired and his head still hurt, so it wasn't really that much of a fight. The woman traced her gloved fingers over the mark, her eyes wide.

"Do you... know what it is?" Link asked. Now that they had seen it, he might as well try to get some information.

The woman looked at him and then took a few steps back. "He needs to talk to the sage."

"Sage? What's that?"

"Hurry, Impal."

"Wait a minute-" Link protested, but the large man had already grabbed him by the arm and was pulling him along, shoving his hand back into its glove as they went.

They marched through several different hallways; Link tried to keep track, but eventually he lost track of how many turns they made and soon he was completely lost. Finally they climbed a set of stairs and passed through a set of doors that looked like cellar doors; they opened upwards and swung out to either side, revealing the smog filled sky. Walking past these doors, Link noticed that they were in one of the alleyways of the city. As they cleared the doors, another person, dressed in rebel clothing, quickly moved from the shadows and closed them before covering the doors with large pieces of trash and moldy food. Link also noticed that it was noon time already. He had spent all night down there.

_"Sera is going to kill me."_

The man, Impal, continued to march Link through the alleyways, his tight grip leaving no question as whether Link should try to escape or not. The answer was a big fat no, and Link didn't even bother to try.

At their brisk pace they reached the Hylian district in no time. Link glanced over to his house, hoping he could convince Impal to stop by there on the way, but he noticed the lights were off and he realized Sera and Beth were probably back at the shop already for the day. So he let himself be dragged along, stepping over the sick Hylians that were lingering along the paths as he went.

They walked up the steps of the register, and Link began to wonder if the sage was the weird receptionist in there.

As soon as they walked inside, the green haired lady recognized Impal. Without saying a word the young woman stood and pulled back the thick blue curtain away from the far wall, revealing a simple door. She winked at Link as he tried to hint to her that he was here against his will.

_"Another wink? First Beth, now her. What is it with the girls around here!? Can't you see that I've been kidnapped here by this... this... ninja!?"_

He had no choice now but to go through the door along with Impal. Even the cat seemed happy about seeing the rebel.

Inside was a comfortable looking room; it was carpeted with a thick, blue fabric, and the walls were painted a light blue to match the floor. Every single piece of furniture was also blue, even the tables were covered with blue tablecloths.

Blue was everywhere.

Sitting on one of the lounge chairs was a very old woman. At first Link thought she might be dead, but then she gave a snort, signifying that she was really just asleep. Her tanned face was round and seemed friendly looking, almost like Sera's. Her gray hair was cropped short, and as Impal gently placed a hand on her shoulder her eyes opened to reveal dark irises.

"Impal? Who is this you've brought with you?" the woman asked warmly. "Would you like tea?"

Link opened his mouth to say that, yes, actually, he would like some tea, and while she was at it she could call the guards because this large man had forced him to come here for tea against his will.

Impal leaned closer to the woman and whispered something into her ear.

"Oh?" the woman said slowly, blinking in surprise. She glanced over at Link and then smiled. "I know how busy you are Impal, you can go now."

"But, I-"

"Thank you, dear."

"Yes, ma'am." He crossed back across the room and then glared at Link. "I'll be right outside."

Link felt his hope crushed. No escaping now either.

The old woman patted the chair in front of her. "Sit, dear. Have some tea."

"Thanks, I guess. I don't really-"

"Know what's going on," the woman finished for him.

"Well... yeah. That, too."

The woman chuckled lightly. "I have cake, too."

"Well..." Link glanced back at the closed door behind him. "I guess I could sit for a little while."

The old woman let him get settled with his cake and tea before smiling at him. "I understand your name is Eddo."

Link nodded, his mouth too full of cake to give a better reply.

"Nice to meet you, dear. Not many Eddo's around these days."

Link shrugged. He supposed there wasn't.

"You know what other name is even rarer?"

Link shook his head.

"Oh, it was a wonderful name, too," the old woman said wistfully. "But it was banned when Ganondorf took over."

"Why was it banned?" Link asked.

"Because, it was the name of Ganondorf's greatest enemy. He didn't want the Hylians to remember that."

Link raised an eyebrow at that. "Ganondorf had an enemy?"

"Yes, he did."

"What was his name?"

"Link."

Link nearly choked on his tea.

"Easy, dear, you don't want to drown in the stuff. Death by tea wouldn't look very dignified on your tombstone, now would it? Take little sips."

Link set his cup down and surveyed the woman more closely. "Who are you? The other woman said you were a sage, but-"

"Oh that," the woman waved a hand dismissively. "Such an old fashioned name for someone who's just old and reads a lot. I do have a name, but everyone who knows me insists on just calling me sage."

"So... what's your name?"

The old woman smiled sadly. "Arlene. But feel free to call me Arly, Link."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8: History

**A big thanks to the people who favorite-ed/followed/wrote me PM's! Yay you! :-D**

* * *

Chapter 8

History

"So," Link began uncertainly. "...Do you know what this means, Arly?" Link uncovered his hand and held it up so she could see the strange triangular symbol.

"I do."

"You didn't even look at it!" Link protested, but Arly was already standing and moving to the back of the room. There was a long curtain covering the far wall, blue just like everything else, but from what Link could tell there wasn't any window behind it. Arly gave the thick cloth a good tug, pulling it back and revealing hundreds of shelves, each completely covered with books. Link had never seen so many books before, and before he even realized it he was standing next to Arly and peering at their titles in awe.

"So many..." Link said. "So many shelves."

"A lifetime's effort of collecting," Arly said as she moved down the wall, trailing her fingers against the books as she went.

Link followed her at an even slower pace, reading through the titles as he went. One was titled as "The Carnival of Time" and its binding looked exactly like the one Grandpa had given him so many years ago that one night.

"Hold on... are you the one who's reprinting the old stories?"

Arly cast him an amused expression, but didn't stop moving. "Found one of yours, I see?"

"Grandpa brought me one just like this once."

Arly chuckled. "Grandpa. Yes, he mentioned you had a curious nickname for him."

Link glared at Arly suspiciously. "You know Grandpa, too?"

"Yes, of course, he's my grandson. Ah! Here we are!"

"Wait. Just wait," Link said when Arly began to pull out a rather thick book from one of the shelves. "Grand_pa_ is your grand_son_?"

"Yes. Well, technically great-grandson. Linebeck the twenty-fourth."

Link stared at her as he tried to process this. "But... but..."

"He comes here when he can, before to bring books to you, and now to bring books to Orca and Byrne. Oh, that reminds me..." Arly had been just about to sit down again when she quickly moved back to the shelves and pulled out another book. "These ought to do it!"

"How come he doesn't talk?" Link asked as he joined Arly back at the chairs.

Arly sighed sadly as she seated herself. "Ganondorf enjoys... tormenting my family. Linebeck has been through much in his short life. His father had the same stubbornness that ran through my family for generations, and when my grandson was about to be taken by the school system, he refused to give him up. Both Linebeck's father and mother were killed, right in front of him, for resisting Gerudo rule. He hasn't talked save for a few words here and there since then."

Link let his eyes drift to the floor as he tried to imagine it. "But... why? Why does Ganondorf like to torment you?"

Arly smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes. " We're not here to discuss me. We're here to discuss you. That symbol on your hand, I don't need to look at it because I already know what it looks like." Arly flipped through the larger of the two books she had retrieved before finally resting it on the table between them. She tapped the page with her hand then leaned back against her pillows.

Leaning forward, Link was drawn to the large illustration on the left-hand page. It was of the golden triangles, being held up by three beautiful women. Link squinted at the picture's caption. "The... Triforce. What is that?"

Arly tapped at the book again. "You can read, can't you? _Use_ the gifts you're given."

So Link read. He read of the three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, who had created the world of Hyrule. He read of the Triforce, the sacred relic left behind by those goddesses to serve the people of Hyrule. He read of how it split by the actions of one man, Ganondorf, and how the pieces resonated and were absorbed by those whose qualities matched the trait the pieces represented. He read of the Hero of Time.

Link leaned back in his own chair, breathing out a low whistle. "This story is intense!"

"And it's all true," Arly said. She had been so quiet the entire time Link had been reading he had nearly forgotten she was there.

"So... I have the Triforce of Courage? Inside me?"

Arly nodded.

"But... why?"

"I'm not certain, but I believe that you may well be the Hero of Time's very reincarnation."

"But... I don't remember any of... this," Link gestured at the book. "If I were him, wouldn't I remember?"

"Oh I think you know more than you think you do. Tell me, who taught you Ancient Hylian?"

"My mother."

"And how long did it take you to learn it?"

"Well... not that long I guess, but I'm just good with languages. I learned modern Hylian and Gerudo at the same time."

"Ah. You learned Gerudo quickly because that was the language being used everywhere around you, and a young mind absorbs the language around it like a sponge absorbs its surrounding water. But, you learned Ancient Hylian quickly because, somewhere deep down, you already _knew_ it. Then modern Hylian came quickly, because it is just a more complicated version of its predecessor. In fact, it comes so naturally to you that I bet you didn't even notice I've been speaking to you in Ancient Hylian ever since Impal left us."

"You have not, I-" Link paused as he listened to what he himself had just said. The words he had used had all been something very much not Gerudo.

"You started talking to me in Gerudo, but once you heard me speak Ancient Hylian you swapped over to it so effortlessly you didn't even notice."

Link narrowed his eyes at her.

"Still doubtful? I have more for you. You must have practiced your writing while in school. There must have been times when you would read what you wrote and wondered how you even came up with such a thought. Am I wrong?"

Link thought back to his imaginary flying creature, Tattletail, the creature he had even ended up using in his book, though he had changed the name to Navi, as he thought it sounded better. There were also an assortment of other strange imaginings he had concocted over the years, but he wasn't about to admit that that meant he was the reincarnation of some legendary hero. "I just like to make up things. I'm a _writer_, you know. I wrote a book."

"May I see?"

Link really didn't want to show her, as he knew what she would say once she saw the title, but he handed it over to her all the same. A small part of him felt he should trust this woman.

Arly scanned the title and then smirked at him. "Of Wisdom, Courage, and Power. I thought you said you had never heard of the Triforce before."

"It's just words that happen to be important in the novel," Link retorted. "A coincidence."

"Indeed? If you say so." She placed the book back on the table along with her own. "I still have more."

"Of course you do," Link said tiredly.

"Your dreams."

"...What?"

"Allow me to guess: they have been horrible nightmares for as long as you can remember. Am I wrong?"

Link shook his head.

"The Hero of Time also had nightmares whenever evil was approaching. He could sense it, just as you can. Unfortunately for you, evil has already taken hold of this world, so your dreams must be very intense."

"Can you... make them stop?"

"Ah. I am sorry, dear, but I don't think so. The only way to do that is to vanquish the evil."

"You mean Ganondorf," Link said miserably.

Arly nodded. "Yes."

She then fell silent, sensing that he needed time to process everything he had just learned.

"Hold on," Link finally began. "What about this Zelda person. Shouldn't she have a reincarnation, too?"

"More likely a descendent. Yes."

"Well where is she?"

Arly's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Worried about her already, are we?"

"What? No. You know, just curious, and stuff."

"Emphasis on the _and stuff_. No need to worry, though, dear, I know where she is and Zelda is safe. Relatively speaking, anyway."

"Ganondorf has been looking for me."

"What makes you say that?"

"At school, he would come every year to check every single student. But I didn't have the Triforce then so he never noticed me... why wasn't I born with the Triforce if I'm his reincarnation?"

Arly shrugged. "You're asking me to read the minds of the goddesses now, dear. Even I can't do that. Perhaps they knew you needed to stay hidden for a while. Or perhaps they needed to be sure you still had courage on your own. What were you doing when you first received it?"

"Stupid courage," Link mumbled absentmindedly, his mind thinking about the goddesses and their tests. What was the point in testing him if they already knew who he was?

"Perhaps they needed to be sure then. Whatever the case be glad it happened the way it did, or you'd probably be dead by now."

Link glanced at the other book Arly had taken. "What's that other book for?"

"Ah, this one is a bit more recent." Arly grunted as she leaned forward again and began to flip through the other book. "The Hero of Winds."

Link sighed. "More family history?"

"In a way." Arly patted the book. "Read."

So Link read some more. He read of how the world came to be flooded. He read of how Ganondorf seemed to be defeated by the Hero of Winds after he thrust the Master Sword into the Gerudo king's head.

"It was a seal," Arly said as Link finished. "Ganondorf wasn't dead, only being held captive by the power of the Master Sword. When it was removed, Ganondorf was freed."

"How was it removed?"

Arly ignored him, choosing instead to flip further through the book. "Read."

Now the story was a bit more modern, and Link learned of the Hero of Wind's descendent, who traveled the land of New Hyrule - his land - in a thing called a train. He read about many different people, stopping only when he recognized one of the names. "Byrne..." Link traced his hand over the letters.

"Read," Arly reminded him.

"Byrne wasn't Hylian," Link said when he finally finished. "He used to be one of these... Lokomo things; a guardian of these lands, but then... But he... he reincarnated as Hylian after, didn't he? That kid back at school, he's _this_ Byrne? From the book?"

Arly nodded. "I believe so, yes. The name is not Hylian, and he couldn't have heard it from anyone else. He must have some innate memories of his past life. When Linebeck told me about him I felt he was far too similar for it to be a coincidence. And now you're here. The goddesses are finally beginning to make their move; things are rushing together quickly, you must be ready for when they call upon you."

"How was Ganondorf freed? Arly, why does he torment your family?"

Arly studied him. "You're an observant little thing, aren't you." She sighed. "It's because... I was there when he was freed from his seal."

"You were _there_? How old are you!?"

Arly scowled at him. "Don't ask a lady her age! And yes, I was there. So was my brother, and my parents. We had the intellectual acuity of the best scientists, and the imagination of children." Arly leaned forward. "As it turns out, a dangerous combination.

"Your family freed him, didn't they?"

Arly nodded quietly. "And Ganondorf enjoys reminding me of that every chance he gets."

Link kneaded at his forehead with his fingers.

"Do you hate me now?" Arly whispered, her voice cracking.

Link looked up at Arly in surprise. "No. Why would I? You didn't know, and I think you've suffered enough for it anyway."

Relief flooded the old woman's face. "Thank you, Link."

"I don't think anyone could hate you, Arly."

Arly shook her head and wiped at her face with her sleeves. "That's not true. _She_ hates me for it.

Link wanted to ask her who _she_ was, but never got the chance. Arly abruptly sat up and began to pick up the books for them to be replaced on their shelves.

Deciding a change of topic might be a good idea anyway, Link quickly asked the first question that popped into his head. "Where's the Master Sword now?"

Arly froze, and Link realized that might not have been the best topic to change to. "Ganondorf has it," Arly whispered. "Locked away in his palace."

"Oh." Link couldn't find anything else to say, despite all the emotions running through him as he processed this. The Master Sword, stuck with Ganondorf. _"She must be miserable,"_ he thought to himself before frowning. She? It was just a sword for crying out loud. He must be more tired than he realized.

"The rebels have been planning on a way to get it back," Arly said. "They'll come up with something soon. In the mean time, you need to train anyway."

"Right. Wait."

"Now what?"

"Do I even want the sword? The Gerudo use guns..."

Arly sighed. "Were you not paying attention to what you read? You need the sword. It's the only thing that can defeat Ganondorf."

"Oh. So... how do I get close enough to hit him with it when he's already _shot_ me?"

Arly shook her head at him. "Come now, Link, you're the Hero of Time! You'll think of something."

"Right. I'll just... get right on that. The thinking... thing."

"You can spend the night here, but then in the morning Impal should move you back to the rebel hideout. I'm sure they'll find someone who can teach you how to fight there, and you'll be safer there, too."

"Right."

"Don't look so worried. Just as you learned Ancient Hylian naturally, you'll pick up fighting just as quickly. If not faster!"

Link didn't answer. That wasn't the reason he felt worried, but how could he explain to her without sounding pathetic? How could he tell her that he didn't want to kill anyone?

* * *

**If you've never played Spirit Tracks and aren't certain about who Byrne is, then no worries. I do explain his past better later on, so just bare with it for a while. I didn't want to fill this chapter up with _too_ much information.**

**As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a great weekend!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Plan

**I've got some good news! Yesterday I finally finished the very last chapter of this story, so now that I don't have to worry about catching up with myself and having to rush any future chapters, I can update more frequently! I've decided that I will now update every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'd update everyday, but I like to give myself time to proofread each chapter one last time before I throw it up for all the world to see. Anyways, without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

The Plan

As soon as Link left Arly's room, he was greeted by the severe face of Impal. Quietly, they slipped outside; it was early morning, and even the receptionist was still gone for the night. Some early birds were chirping, just hearable over the few cars overhead.

"Hey, Impal," Link whispered as they walked together through the near empty Hylian district.

The man beside him grunted.

Taking that as a sign to continue, Link did. "Could we stop by my friend's house? I just want her to know I'm alright and-"

"No."

"But-"

"Listen to me, kid," Impal said as he turned to face Link. In the morning sun Link finally noticed that this man's eyes were the same dark red as the symbol stitched into the front of his clothes. "Talking to anyone outside can put them in danger. So... no."

"But-"

Impal raised a hand to silence him. "There's something you need to get through that thick skull of yours: Ganondorf is looking for you. He's not going to stop until he finds you. If he knows about your connection to those women over there, he will kill them to get to you. You talk to people, you put them in danger. Now let's go."

Link remained in stunned silence the rest of the way to the city. He cast one last regretful look back to his old home, hoping to at least see Sera in the window, so she could see he was alright, but the house was still dark and quiet just like its neighbors.

They went through the same doors they had left from, and the same rebel was there to make sure the doors were covered and hidden after they closed again.

"Impal," Link began, finally breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "That one woman I met before, the one with no sense for poetry, what's her name?"

Impal snorted in amusement. "Impa. _General_ Impa."

"Impa... does everyone in the rebellion have a name that starts with that?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Really?"

Impal didn't answer. Instead he led Link down more hallways until they finally stopped at the cafeteria that Link had blundered into the other day.

"Get something to eat," Impal ordered. "Oh, and you used a fake name before, right? Eddo or something stupid like that."

"Yeah..."

"Keep using that."

"Why?" Link asked, but Impal was already marching away from him. Link stood there for a moment, pondering this latest development. Then he recalled Impal mentioning something about spies, and started to feel nervous. Were there really spies in the rebellion working for the Gerudo? How did anyone trust anyone around here?

As Link headed into the large room, he noticed that there were far less people in there this time around. Only a few of the tables were being used, so Link quickly found a plate, threw some bread and what looked like the porridge he used to eat at school onto it, then found a seat.

One of the rebels broke away from his table and wandered over towards Link, an expression of curiosity in his dark eyes. While he was garbed in the strange rebel uniform that everyone else was, his head was left bare, revealing a round face and sandy hair. "Are you the new guy?" the man asked. "No, that's a stupid question, of course you are! You don't even have your uniform yet!"

Link had been just about to take a bite of his porridge, but now the spoon just hung in midair as he tried to think of a response to the rapid speech of the other man. "Uh..." The porridge slipped from the spoon and landed back on the plate with a small splat.

"The name's Imparo. What's yours?"

"Eddo."

Imparo snickered. "You really are new, huh? Well don't worry, you'll get your fake name later."

"Right..." Link felt like pouting, he had enough trouble keeping track of two names, never mind three. "Say, Imparo, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away! I used to be the newbie here before you showed up, it's really nice to not be the new guy anymore. So if you need help with anything, just let me know! I'm your guy!"

"Thanks! So... how did this rebellion get to be so big? Where do you find all these people?"

Imparo glanced around the room. "Well... you know... we just sort of do. I mean, how did you get recruited?"

"Well..."

"Same as the rest of us, right? You were inspired by the rebellion's focus on liberating our people from the Gerudo's oppression, so you just sort of seek them out, and then there you are!"

"I see. But some of them look like they should still be in school, don't they?"

Imparo shrugged. "What's the point of school anyway?"

"What's the _point_!? It's... it's..." Link frowned. What _was_ the point of school? In the books he had read, the Hylian authors had always talked about schools like they were something grand, even something to be revered, but for the life of him he couldn't come up with anything to defend his own school. They hadn't even been the ones to teach him how to read or write, he had had to learn that before he went.

"See? It's just another way for the Gerudo to oppress us."

"I'm sure the scholar's school is better."

Imparo shrugged. "Maybe. Wouldn't know. I ran away from the worker's school when I was ten, haven't looked back since."

"How did you manage that?"

"Grandpa helped me," Imparo said, his grey eyes twinkling.

Link grinned. "Good ol' Grandpa. So... have you been with the rebellion since you were ten then?"

"Sort of. I wandered the city for about a year, just trying to stay out of sight, but then Impal stumbled on me... literally, actually, he sort of tripped on me when I was sleeping, and he brought me here."

"That seems a bit young to be fighting anyone," Link said with concern.

Imparo shrugged again. "I was good at it. Those Gerudo scum deserve it." Imparo suddenly laughed. "Grandpa once told me that I should be patient and wait, but I've never been very patient, and if I can do all this stuff now why bother waiting?"

"Grandpa told you a whole sentence?" Link asked in awe.

"Well, not exactly. He sort of just said "time" but I took that to mean be patient."

Link frowned; so that's what Grandpa had meant by the word.

"Well, I gotta get going. See you around, Eddo."

"Bye." Then Link was left alone with his thoughts. The utterance of the word time was sort of obvious that Grandpa had been implying to just wait. Did the schools just serve to make people dumber? He tried to remember if he had been smarter before he entered the school. He couldn't remember anything being particularly confusing to him, even the aptitude test; there had been several riddles read off to him, and a ton of other questions that had needed his verbal answers, but from what he could remember of it he hadn't felt particularly stumped by anything. But he must have been, otherwise he would have scored into the scholar's school. He sighed and let the shadowed memories fade away again. He had spent so much time trying to forget his school days he couldn't remember much about how he had been before.

"Hey." Link looked up and saw Impal standing at the doorway. "Time to train."

* * *

"You have to block me!" Impal shouted, not for the first time.

Link was trying, he really was, but the man was so fast, one minute he was swinging to his left and then, when he tried to block that attack, he was suddenly struck on the right.

"It's called a feint, Eddo! A false move! Be ready for them!"

Link didn't see how he could see a false move before it was too late; wasn't that the point of them anyway? Another blow struck him square on his forehead, and he collapsed into a sitting position on the matted floor. "Ow."

Impal sighed and finally pointed his wooden sword at Link's neck. "I could've killed you a hundred different times by now, and this isn't even a ranged weapon," the man said, standing over Link.

Before Link could respond, there was a flicker of something in his mind. It was almost like a memory, it felt and looked like a memory, but Link knew it couldn't possibly be, because the memory was just ridiculous. He was in a position quite similar to the one he was in now on the floor of the training room, only the training room was gone and he was in some sort of... dungeon... and instead of Impal standing over him with a fake sword pointed at him, there was a grotesque skeleton standing over him, with a real sword pointed at him and a large grin on its face. In this memory, however, Link seemed to know what to do, as he wrapped his legs around the creature's own legs before twisting; the monster collapsed at the same time that Link stood up, grabbing the creature's sword from it before it could catch its balance. Now he was the one standing over the monster, with weapon in hand.

The memory faded, and Link found himself standing in the training room. He noticed that Impal's sword was in his own, and he was currently holding the heavy stick at Impal's head.

"Well done," Impal said, half impressed and half just plain shocked.

Link stepped back and helped the man up.

"How did you know to do that?" Impal asked suspiciously.

"Instinct?" Link offered. To be perfectly honest though, he had no idea.

Impal frowned. "Instinct," he repeated doubtfully. "Kid, I've seen instinct make people do some crazy things, but nothing that sophisticated. You moved like you've been fighting your whole life."

Link shrugged just before Impal struck out at him again, hitting him hard against his ribs. "Ow!"

"Pay attention! The battle isn't over until your opponent is dead!"

"But that's not fair, I can't kill you!" Link protested as he failed yet again to block another of Impal's attacks.

* * *

Link collapsed into a nearby chair. Everything hurt. He couldn't even breathe without that hurting, too.

"Alright, we'll stop for today. You're getting better."

Link looked at Impal in surprise. "Was that... a compliment?"

"Don't let it get to your head, kid. You've been at it for a few weeks, most usually pick this up faster than that. But, at least you're starting to figure out when I'm feinting. ...Even though you still can't block anything, at least you _know_."

Link gave him a tired thumb's up. "Thanks."

"See you tomorrow."

Impal stalked out of the room, leaving Link to try and find the energy on his own to go to his room. For his first night there, he had slept in the dormitory with most of the other rebels. But then the nightmares had gotten worse, and General Impa had decided it would be best for him to have his own room, separated from the others. So the general had given him hers. Where she was sleeping now Link had no idea, but he was grateful for the privacy.

Just as Link was about to try and sit up, General Impa herself stepped into the training room.

"Hello," she said casually as she walked in.

"Hi," Link replied nervously. He hadn't seen her in days, and he was suspicious as to why she had suddenly decided to pay him a visit now.

"Impal tells me you are improving."

"I guess so."

"Good. Good."

Link watched her as she began to fidget nervously. "Can I ask you something?" he asked finally when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else.

"Of course."

"There's something that's been bothering me for a while now, but I haven't gotten the chance to ask anyone about it yet."

"What is it?"

"Do you... know anything about plants?"

"Plants? Eddo, I'm far too busy to discuss horticulture with you."

"No, I mean... see, at the worker's school we grew these plants. And then every so often we harvested them and then they'd disappear. I thought at first they just threw them out, but then after I graduated I saw them shipping them to the scholar's school."

There was a slight pause before Impa waved him towards her. "Follow me."

Eager to finally get his answer, Link barely noticed the aching in his body as he forced it to move again. He followed Impa through the hallways until they finally stepped inside a large room. Link had never been in this room before, and as he looked around he noticed there were several tables, all covered with maps and charts and other papers that Link couldn't read at the distance he was at. Impal was there, along with a few others; they were gathered around one of the tables and seemed perfectly content to ignore Link's presence.

General Impa led Link deeper into the room, to the table furthest from the other rebels. "Show me where you saw the delivery vans," she said as she pointed to a map of the city.

"Well, I was outside at the time. They were just flying along the path that goes around the lake."

"Which direction were they coming from?"

"What?"

"What part of the city?" Impa insisted, her voice becoming more intense.

Link had no idea; he hadn't really been paying much attention to where they had been coming from, only where they were going. He frowned, trying to concentrate. He had been near the city when he saw them, so what part had they come from? He studied the map. "Here." Link pointed at the place he thought made the most sense.

"Are you sure?" Impa asked with a frown.

Link nodded. "What area is that, anyway?" he asked, leaning closer to the map.

"It's where Ganondorf's palace is."

Link felt his eyes widen. "Really?"

"Normally they don't go over the Gerudo districts, I think the smell bugs them, but I guess they finally decided they prefer safety over perfume."

"What are those plants used for?" Link repeated.

The general stared at him for a while before finally sighing. "We don't know. We've been trying to find out. All we know is they've been shipping the stuff to the scholar's school for years now, for some sort of project."

Impal joined them, not even greeting them before pulling the map closer to him. "They must be going the long way around the city, to avoid any places with too many Hylians."

"What's the project for?" Link continued, ignoring Impal.

"They probably go along this route here," General Impa said, pointing along the map and ignoring Link. After a few seconds of studying the map she looked back up at Link. "We don't know. There are a few graduates from the scholar's school with us, but from what we've learned from them the students believe it's the smartest thing to try and not find out what the project is for. They study the properties, they mix chemicals together that they're given, but they don't try to make any connections to things. They say that if anyone figures out what they're actually doing, the school makes them stay to continue their work after they graduate."

"So... you don't know anything about it at all?"

"No. How would you like to help us find an answer?"

* * *

"I'm not too sure about this plan," Link said uncertainly. The small group of rebels that he had been listening to were now all staring at him with impatient looks in their eyes. All, that is, except for Impa, who just looked angry. Link wondered if the woman was capable of feeling any other emotion.

"This isn't your plan, Eddo. Now you said you wanted to help, so you either do what we tell you to do or get out now."

"It's just... why do we have to blow up so many buildings?"

"It's a distraction," Impa said between gritted teeth. "There's no other way to get the vans to land."

"Right, but there must be some other way."

"There isn't. We've tried. This is the only thing that'll work."

"Ok, but you've tried this plan, what? Three times already? And you still haven't managed to get close enough to the vans to sneak into one."

"We will this time. We've got another idea we can try."

"Which is...?"

"A secondary distraction." She continued when Link just sighed. "Look, we blow these buildings here as the vans are about to fly over them. They'll be forced to take a detour along here." Impa paused to point to a highlighted road through the city. The Gerudo won't feel comfortable in that area, so they'll cut through here and park in this area of the Gerudo residences. Once they land, we'll have a small group waiting to ambush them. While the guards are distracted, we sneak in our spies."

"Which is me."

"Yes, because you're young enough. Imparo will be going with you; you're both close to the same age, and could pass as senior students."

"But what if-"

"Listen, this is what we're doing. It'll work, trust me."

The confidence in Impa's voice made Link almost want to trust her on an impulse, but then his doubts returned. "A lot of people could die in these explosions of yours," he said quietly.

Impa stood. "Prepare the teams," she said loudly. As the others filed out of the room, Impa looked down sharply at Link. "They're Gerudo. They deserve to die."

* * *

The explosion was close. Link had never been that close to one before; the sound was deafening, and the shockwave threw him and Imparo off of their feet.

"Ugh," Imparo groaned as he picked himself up. "I'm not used to these student uniforms. They're so... flowy..."

Link grimaced at the use of a made up word, but then found himself agreeing with his partner. The worker's school just used overalls and plain shirts, nothing fancy about them but at least they were practical. The uniforms they had at the scholar's school, however, were long, almost toga-like in appearance, and every time he moved the long sleeves and robe flowed around him like a sail.

"Here they come!" Imparo whispered.

Link looked at where he was pointing and saw the large vans approaching the area, just as Impa guessed they would. "She's good," Link muttered to himself as they watched the vans slowly lower themselves down. Dust flew out from underneath the large vehicles just before they touched the paved ground.

"Get ready," Imparo said, bending his knees and preparing to sprint towards the vans. Link remained where he was, crouched near the wall and peaking out from the alleyway they were hiding in.

The sides of the vans opened up, and the easily recognizable stench of the plants drafted over to Link. Several guards jumped out, but Link noticed a few other people remaining inside; they were garbed in the same white outfits that he and Imparo were wearing.

Just as the last guard finished climbing out, several rebels leaped out from other alleyways, shouting as they charged towards the guards and firing at them with small pistols.

The Gerudo women threw down small, black boxes which at first didn't do anything, but then just as the first few volleys of bullets were about to hit them the boxes sprang up and unfolded, creating a low down shield that the women could easily duck behind.

"Now!" Imparo shouted as the Gerudo women started to shoot back at the other rebels.

Link quickly sprinted after Imparo, adrenaline taking over and letting the sounds of the battle fade into a dull background noise as he focused on what he had to do.

They were at the closest van. Hurriedly they started to climb inside to join the other students. All around him, Link could hear the sounds of stray bullets from both sides cutting through the air. Then they were inside the van, just as the Gerudo were beginning to climb back inside themselves. The heavy doors closed around them, and the rebel's bullets clanging harmlessly against the thick metal. Link and Imparo were in, stuck in a car with armed Gerudo guards and a bunch of geniuses. Glancing to his side, he saw some of the students were already looking at him and Imparo suspiciously.

"We thought we'd go for a walk... bad idea, huh?" Link whispered casually to the student closest to him.

She raised an eyebrow. "You know you came back to the wrong van, right?"

"How so?"

She snorted in laughter and then turned to talk to another student. Link looked around again, but couldn't really see anything wrong with it.

"Aw, man," Imparo suddenly groaned quietly. "There's just all girl students in here."

Link realized with a start that he was right. "Well... at least there's just one scholar's school. We'll still end up where we have to be."

"Sure, but let's not tell anyone else this anyway. We'll never hear the end of it."

Link nodded in agreement.

* * *

General Impa looked up from her charts when Arlene came into the room. the rebellion leader's head covering was off now that that the day was nearly over and she didn't have to interact with any of the rebels anymore, so her long, graying blonde hair was finally free to flow past her shoulders. "Hello, Sage. You've come at a great time," Impa said. "I've just learned that the plan was finally successful."

Arlene raised a thin eyebrow at her. "You think so, do you?"

"No, I know so. Impal just reported back; both Link and Imparo made it in."

"Oh, then I suppose a congratulations is in order."

Impa sighed; the other woman still didn't sound too pleased. "What is it, Sage?"

Arlene slammed her gnarled hands against the table and stared into Impa's eyes. "What were you thinking sending Link in there? He doesn't even know how to defend himself yet!"

"He knows enough." Impa matched Arlene's glare. "Look, he can keep fighting with his toy sword and guns all he wants, but he's not going to learn a thing until he gets out there and actually has to fight for his life."

"Well that's very poetic of you, dear, but you've missed an important piece of your puzzle."

Impa sighed impatiently. "And what might that be?"

"You sent Link to the scholar's school... as a student."

"Yes."

"On a day that Ganondorf visits."

Impa felt the pen in her hand slip from her fingers. "It's not... It _can't_ be... I..."

"You're so focused on making your plan finally work, you're not paying attention to what's right in front of you!" Arlene shouted.

Impa stood sharply, her chair scraping angrily against the floor.

"It's too late now, _Impa_, he's already there by now."

Impa's wide blue eyes stared back at Arlene in horror. "Oh goddesses. What have I done?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 10: Horticultural Matters

Chapter 10

Important Horticultural Matters

The van landed. Link nearly fell out of his seat along with Imparo when it did, as neither had noticed the seat-belts in back of them. As they followed the girls out of the van, they found themselves to be at the back of the school, safely tucked away behind a thick stone wall and a row of bushy trees. Several older students were already moving towards them to retrieve the baskets of the strange plants. Link and Imparo glanced at each other before quickly grabbing baskets of their own and then following the older students into the school.

Link was impressed by the scholar's school. He really was. The instant he stepped inside he found the floor to be of polished marble, and the walls of a smooth, shiny metal that reflected the bright lights that shone above them. Window after window lined one side of the wall, letting in ample amounts of sunlight and offering a pleasant view of the gardens outside. He could feel a bit of envy beginning to creep into him as he passed several windows that had been opened to allow fresh air into the school. His school never got fresh air unless the double doors were opened to let in students or Ganondorf, or to throw out a graduate. Even that was just a fleeting moment, and what little air did manage to get inside was quickly destroyed by the lingering scent of the plants.

They walked through several hallways, all just as well lit as the first even though some lacked windows. Finally they entered a very large room, and Link felt his envy explode inside him. This room was littered with tables, and on each table lay all sorts of different colored - and different smelling - chemicals that bubbled and smoked in test-tubes and vials. But that wasn't what had Link so jealous; no, what he was jealous of was the rows of shelves that held up books. The shelves were enclosed by thick pieces of glass so they wouldn't fall easily, and Link couldn't take his eyes off of them.

_"So many books! More than Arly has! And they're all so safe in those... cases. They're like... cases for books. Bookcases!"_

"You're holding up the line," Imparo grunted behind him.

Quickly Link continued walking, placing his basket of plants alongside the others. A few students who had been working with the chemicals came over and started to pick out a few of the plants. They wore thick masks over their faces so they wouldn't have to deal with the smell of the foliage, yet another thing that Link felt jealous of. His school didn't even get rags to cover their faces with.

Imparo tugged him over to the side of the room, so they would be out of the way. "I think we should split up," he whispered. "We should try to talk to some people, see if we can figure out what they're doing here."

Link frowned. "General Impa said nobody around here tries to know what they're doing here. I think we need to-"

"Look, whatever, you do what you want and I'll do it my way. I'm going to stick to the plan. We'll meet for dinner. And remember, if anyone asks: your name is Bob and I'm Niko, got it?"

"Hold on, how come I get stuck with Bob and you get something that sounds more interesting?"

Imparo shrugged. "It was my great-grandfather's name or something like that. It runs in the family I think. Can I go now or do you want me to trace my whole lineage out for you?"

"Fine, fine, see you at dinner."

"Good."

Imparo quickly moved off and soon blended in with the other students before disappearing from Link's sight. Link gazed around the room for a while, trying to think of what to do. Impa's plan wasn't exactly all that clear once they got past the tricky part of getting into the school; it was almost as if she hadn't been expecting it to work. Now that they were here, however, they needed to find someone who not only knew what was going on, but felt like sharing. Even as Link thought this he knew he wouldn't find anyone like that.

Coming to a decision, he rolled up his long sleeves and moved to the books. His eyes lit up as he examined the titles; most were chemistry related, and a few had titles that sounded like they had something to do with biology. He glanced back at all the chemicals behind him.

"Time to do some research," Link whispered to himself. He pulled out the first chemistry book he spotted and then sat down so he could still see the vials. Flipping through the book, he started to identify each chemical in the room, one at a time.

* * *

Genearl Impa had put her head covering back on, so that once again all anyone could see was her eyes. She, Arlene, and Impal were gathered together in the general's office.

"He'll know to avoid the meeting hall, won't he?" Impal said finally.

They had spent hours trying to figure out a way to get Link out of the school, but even Arlene was at a loss for what to do.

General Impa groaned and covered her face with her hands. "The kid is an idiot, of course he won't know to do that. Just... get someone out there to watch the school, so we can get an idea on what's going on in there."

With a nod, Impal quickly slipped out of the room.

Impa finally looked over at Arlene. "What are you even doing here, Sage?"

"I came to deliver this." Arlene pulled out a book from under her cloak. It was Link's book. "I had grabbed it by accident and put it with my own."

Impa glared back at Arlene's accusing stare. "What?"

"Did you read it?"

"I skimmed it."

"It's quite good."

Impa rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry, Sage, but I don't have time to read silly fairy-tales. I need warriors, not writers."

"Too bad, you should give it a try," Arlene said as she stood. "You'll never guess who one of the main characters is."

Impa watched her begin to shuffle out of the room. "Who?"

"What?" Arlene asked innocently, turning around.

"Who's the main character?"

Arlene smiled. "A woman named Zaira, who's not just smart, but wise."

Impa sighed and fidgeted with the book, not meeting Arlene's gaze. "We both know I don't have wisdom anymore."

Arlene heaved a sigh. "I think you have more in you than you think you do."

* * *

It was early evening when Link heard a series of loud bells fill the room he was in. He looked up from his pile of books, listening to the melody the deep bells were ringing out. Then he noticed that the students that had been quietly working were beginning to leave. He heard one of them mention something about cake to her friend. Wondering if this school also got a snack time, and feeling a bit hungry anyway, Link decided to follow. He carefully put his books back in their cases before running after them.

They wandered casually through several more hallways, meeting up with more students as they went. The bells continued, their sounds vibrating through the walls and creating a hum in the air that made Link's hair stand up on the back of his neck. Soon they entered a large hallway, and, to Link's disappointment, there were no tables with cake or other snacks anywhere. He spotted Imparo more to the middle of the room, lurking near the wall, and went over to join him as they began to line up.

"Any luck?" Link asked him.

Imparo shook his head. "None. Any idea what's going on here?"

"Well I thought there was going to be some sort of meal or something, but it doesn't look like it. In fact, this sort of reminds me of..." Link drifted off, and his eyes widened. "We need to get out of here."

"Why? It's too late anyway, they'll notice if we leave now," Imparo hissed at him as several teachers, both Gerudo and Hylian, filed into the room.

"This is not good," Link whispered angrily. "We need to leave."

Imparo and Link turned to go, but were stopped by a teacher that was walking past them. "Remain where you are, students," he snapped angrily, adjusting the small spectacles that were slipping from his pointed nose.

Behind the double doors, there was a heavy knocking. Link was at a loss for what to do, and Imparo didn't understand what was going on; he had ran away from his school when he was ten, so he probably didn't remember much of it. Or didn't want to, at any rate.

"All bow before your king, the great and powerful Lord Ganondorf."

Link heard Imparo breathe out an obscenity; he understood now, but it was far too late. The doors were opening, and the other students were already falling to their knees. With no ideas coming to him, Link quickly joined the others, pulling Imparo along with him.

"It's ok," Imparo whispered. "He doesn't know what anyone in the rebellion looks like. Just stay calm, remember your fake name, and you'll be fine."

Link wanted to tell him that that wasn't true, that _he_ might be fine, but Link would not. As soon as Ganondorf placed his hand on Link's head, he would know. Know that Link had the Triforce of Courage, and that he was the reincarnation of his oldest enemy.

He took a steadying breath, and while he was keeping his head bowed just like the others, he was also straining his eyes upwards, looking for an idea, an escape route, anything he could use. Ganondorf and his entourage of guards filed into the room. Usually by this point Link was no longer watching the procession, for when he had been a student he had just wanted the ceremony to be over so he could enjoy the rest of his day off. He had memorized the stone pattern beneath him, but that was all. Now that he had more important things going on in his life, he found the whole ceremony to be rather narcissistic of Ganondorf. So many guards, all in perfectly polished armor, and he himself in a long billowing cloak and neatly ironed black robe. Just how full of oneself could a person get?

When Link thought that the last guards were finally in and the doors would be closed, he noticed that they were held open for just a moment longer. Long enough for a Gerudo woman and a smaller accompaniment of guards around her to step through. Link instantly recognized this young woman, especially when he pictured her twirling around and showing off her calendar for all the world to see. It was Hadiya.

He stared at her, unable to comprehend why she was there. Was she at every ceremony, and he had just never noticed her because he had never looked up once Ganondorf was in the room? Or was this a special occasion? In which case, who, exactly, was this eccentric girl and why was she allowed to follow Ganondorf so closely?

Her cloak was thrown about her shoulders just as the last time he had seen her in the Gerudo district, but instead of the white clothes he had seen in her before she was now garbed in a pale blue version of the same style. Her golden eyes were staring over the crowd with a look of sheer boredom in them.

Link continued to stare at her, willing her to notice him, internally screaming at her to look his way. He needed help, and at the moment that single Gerudo woman was probably the only one who could offer it.

_"Come on, Hadiya, I know you're bored but just look this way... please!"_

Hadiya eyes suddenly flicked onto his. Link held her gaze, hoping she would recognize him. She seemed to, as suddenly her eyes widened and she began to take a few cautious steps backwards. All of the guards seemed intent on watching Ganondorf as he made his way through the students, so none of them noticed that Hadiya was starting to slip around them.

Despite the fact that she was trying to sneak towards Link, she never once crouched down or tried to hide; she walked like she had a purpose, and Link couldn't help but feel impressed at her confidence. As she grew closer, she threw Link a glare that practically shouted "you'd better be ready to move."

Link nodded at her, and as she passed him she let her arms swing in back of her, sweeping her cloak behind her and giving Link plenty of room to crouch under. Imparo noticed what he was doing and quickly followed. Soon the two were running while in their still crouched positions to keep up with the girl's brisk pace. Hadiya swept them out of the room and back into the hallway, pulling her cloak back around her only when the doors to the hall slipped closed.

"Hadiya, I really, _really_, owe you one," Link said with relief while Imparo stood behind him, straightening out his toga.

"Yes, you do," Hadiya answered snippily. "And I would like _one_ right now."

Link frowned. "Um... what?"

"What?"

"One what?"

"One answer. What are you doing back in school if you graduated already? Did it turn out that you failed a test somewhere, so you had to retake it?"

"Eddo, who _is_ this?" Imparo asked, still lurking behind Link.

"Just a friend," Link answered distractedly. "And in answer to your question, Hadiya, we're... sort of on a secret mission."

"Don't tell her that!" Imparo protested while Hadiya's eyes lit up.

"Such fun!" she said, clapping her hands together. "I could tell you did not want to be seen by Lord Ganondorf, and you being on a secret mission explains it. May I come along?"

Imparo snorted. "Absolutely not."

Link rammed his elbow into the other boy's stomach. "I don't see why not," he said brightly as Imparo coughed and sputtered behind him.

"Wonderful!"

"Eddo," Imparo started with a whine in his voice. "She's a Gerudo."

"A Gerudo who probably just saved our lives. Besides..." Link drifted off, not wanting to voice what he was thinking out loud while Hadiya was right there. He was beginning to get an idea about her, but it would take some diplomatic skill to find out if he was correct or not. "Come on. We need to get back to the laboratory, I think I might be on to something."

Hadiya walked besides Link with a smile on her face while Imparo followed behind, hunched over in a pathetically sulky manner.

With all the students in the Main Hall, the laboratory was completely abandoned. Link was able to move his books straight to the nearest table, allowing him easy access to the chemicals and making it much easier to identify them.

"Need help?" Hadiya asked.

"Find me a book that mentions something called a..." Link flipped back a page and found the word he wanted. "Mite. I think it's a bug of some sort, so check the biology texts."

"Very well."

Imparo slumped over the table across from Link. "What are you doing? We're wasting time here."

"I think I might know what those plants are for. And what Ganondorf's special project is with them."

Imparo's eyes flicked over to Hadiya, who was slowly working her way through the titles. "You mean the _Gerudo_ special project."

Link picked up a vial with a blue substance and poured the contents of a nearby test-tube straight into it before swirling it around. "I meant what I said, Imparo," he muttered absentmindedly, observing the color change and then quickly flipping through the book some more.

Imparo rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"I have it!" Hadiya exclaimed suddenly, rushing back to the table with a book in her hands. "There are pages upon pages of descriptions of different mite creatures here."

"Great! Now let's see..."

Imparo glanced at the book. "Why don't you just ask her what the plants are for. She probably knows."

Hadiya shook her head. "I do not think she does," she said seriously.

"Who the heck _are_ you, anyway? Why are you with Ganondorf?"

Link glared up at Imparo; so much for his planned diplomatic tactic. "Imparo, leave her alone."

"Stop giving me orders, I'm the one in charge anyway!"

Hadiya looked at him curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure! Why wouldn't I be?"

Hadiya shrugged. "No reason to be asking, I was just curious how certain you were. It is, you see, an immature mind that deals only in absolutes."

"..._What_?"

Link smirked, but continued to read through his book. Finally he found the insect he wanted to read about. He read the description, and then reread it. It was the last piece of the puzzle he needed, but he didn't like how it fit in.

"What is it?" Hadiya asked curiously, noticed the sudden paling of his face.

"I know what the plants are for."

A moment of silence, and then Imparo gave a huff. "Well?"

"They act as homes for this creature here." Link turned the book so both could see the illustration of the large, black insect.

"Poison Mite," Hadiya read. "I do not quite understand."

"After the plants start to grow, the teachers must put them into the ground at night. The mites dig their way into the plants, and then literally live inside them, eating them from the inside out as they mature. That's why the plants always die. They're all infested with bugs."

A disgusted look crossed over Imparo's face, and he inched away from the basket of plants. "Those things are inside the plants? What's the point of that?"

"The plants give the mites a safe place to mature. Once they've grown enough, they're used to create these chemicals over here."

"To what end?" Hadiya asked with a tilt of her head.

"Poison. The insides of the mites are poisonous. They extract the poison, and then create..."

"Well? Imparo said again when Link drifted off.

"You know the Hylian district is filled with sick people, right?"

Imparo's eyes widened. "They're poisoning the Hylians?"

"I... I think so. They must put it in the water, that's why some people never get sick. The ones who have jobs can buy the filtered stuff from the shops, it tastes better."

"But why?" Imparo asked. "What's the point of doing that? They don't even die right away, they just linger out there, miserable."

Link shrugged, that was the one answer he couldn't come up with.

Hadiya gave a thoughtful hum. "It sounds like an experiment."

Link frowned thoughtfully, considering her words, but Imparo rounded on her. "You would think so, wouldn't you!? Just an experiment, as if we're nothing but rats to you people!"

Hadiya looked at him. "Actually, you are Hylians to me."

Imparo snorted loudly. "Yeah, right, same difference though, right?"

"On the contrary, I find rats to be quite adorable."

"If," Link began quickly, to interrupt the argument that was brewing. "If this is an experiment, what results are they looking for? They must have a goal of some sort."

"Ah the applied mindset of a worker," Hadiya said, her voice sounding almost fond. "Sometimes science is just done for the sake of science. No goal intended."

"Seriously?!" Imparo shouted. "What is wrong with you!? This isn't science! This is innocent people being slowly killed!"

"I did not say it was not."

"And for your information- wait, what?"

"I did not say it was not," Hadiya repeated more loudly.

"Oh."

Link sighed and closed his book. "We've been helping them."

"What?" Imparo asked.

"I helped them poison all those people. I helped grow those plants. They're making all of us kill our own kind."

Imparo glared. "Sick bastards. You're right. Those students are just slave labor for them, so they don't even have to do the work of killing their enemies. We should destroy this entire place!"

Link's eyes widened when Imparo started to rummage about in the folds of his toga's sleeves. After a moment he pulled out a pair of what looked to Link like two explosive devices.

"Are you insane!?" Link shouted. "You can't blow up the school!"

"It would save thousands of lives!" Imparo shouted back.

"Just wait a minute, wait one minute!" Link snapped, desperately trying to come up with something to say that would make him stop. He glanced over to where Hadiya was, only to find she had disappeared from the room. Looking to the other end of the room, his eyes found the doors just in time to see them open and one of the Hylian teachers come inside.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know anyone was still working in here," the man said, and Link recognized him as the spectacled man who had told them to stay where they were in the Main Hall. Then the man spotted the explosives in Imparo's hands, and the glasses fell completely from his nose. Swinging idly from a chain on his neck now, the glasses were ignored as the teacher's jaw dropped loosely. "What are you two doing!?"

Link was about to tell him to leave and get out while he could, when something made him stop. There was something in the man's pale eyes that felt painfully familiar. Then he noticed that the man had a rather abnormally large head. No, beyond that, he had an abnormally _humongous_ head. "Stur... Sturgeon?"

The teacher glared at Link. "Do I know you, boy?"

Link felt like laughing; after all this time he had finally found him.

He was so excited over this that he very nearly forgot about Imparo. For a split second he did, but he was instantly reminded when Imparo started to fiddle with one of his devices. "I have to do it!" the man screamed.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 11: Zelda

**So last night I had the interesting experience of being kept up ALL night long by a bunch of very loud, drunken hooligans running around my neighborhood. ...I don't think I like my new neighbors all that much anymore.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Zelda

A flash of anger the likes of which Link had never experienced before suddenly overtook him. He grabbed Imparo by the collar of his tunic and shoved him into the wall roughly, forcing the explosive devices from his hands. They fell to the floor with a clatter, but Link didn't even notice them as he glared at Imparo. "Don't you even dare."

"Think of how many people they're poisoning with all this, Eddo! Even if there are Hylians here, they're not helping our cause anyway!" Imparo argued.

"Think, man! Think for just one damn minute! Think of the Hylian district. No one there helps you either. They all ignore the rebellion and live out their lives. Does Impa kill _them_ for not helping you? No! They're the reason you're fighting in the first place! You do not kill your own kin! That's your way, and even before I got caught up in all this I admired you for that. Do not take away the _one_ good thing the rebellion has going for it."

Imparo lowered his eyes, and his hands which had been clutching at Link's arms fell to his sides. "You're right," he said weakly. "I don't know what I was thinking... Goddesses, I'm sorry!"

Link released the other man and was about to reply when Sturgeon suddenly gave a strangled cry.

"Guys, we might have a problem!"

"What?" Link asked.

"I think that one's turned itself on when it fell!"

Link looked down at the devices, and noticed that one had a rather small number on it that was counting down rather quickly. Link and Imparo looked at each other with similar expressions.

"You dratted hooligans!" Sturgeon shouted. "There's not enough time to disarm that! Do something!"

"_What_?" Imparo shouted back, but Link was already moving.

It was a stupid idea, he knew it was, but he did it as if on impulse. He bent down, grabbed the bomb, and ran.

"Where are you going with that!?" Sturgeon shouted after him, but Link didn't even slow. He flew through the hallways, shoving past students that were making their way back from the Main Hall. He kept a very close eye on the counter, which was ticking away with almost cheerful sounding beeps marking its progress down to zero.

Link was outside before he even realized that there had been some teachers trying to block his way. He had barreled through them without even thinking. He pounded across the meadow and to the lake, which was shimmering innocently in the rays of the setting sun. Glancing at the timer one last time, he saw that he only had a few seconds left. With a grunt, he threw it as hard as he could. It landed with a splash into the water, and then there was only a second's pause before a much larger splash sent water spewing everywhere. The ground shook, and there was a shockwave so strong that Link was thrown from his feet and into a nearby tree.

The air was knocked from Link's lungs, and try as he might he couldn't get any more in. A moment of panic took over any rational thought Link might have had, but then, finally, he managed to pull in fresh air. Coughing and wheezing, Link struggled to his feet. Gerudo guards were pouring out of the school now, and it became obvious that most of Ganondorf's entourage hadn't left yet, implying that Ganondorf himself was still there. He tried to take a step forward, but quickly discovered he was still winded and nearly collapsed back onto the grass.

A gentle but firm hand grabbed his arm and steadied him. Glancing to his side, he saw Hadiya with her usual friendly smile.

"Hi," Link coughed out.

"You are a very funny person, Eddo," Hadiya said as she led him away from the lake, and away from the guards that were swiftly approaching. They hadn't noticed them yet, and soon Hadiya had led him into a patch of grass that grew so tall all they had to do was crouch down and they were completely hidden.

"You need to leave now, I think," Hadiya said as Link sat down heavily.

"Yeah, I'm working up to that part," Link said, still trying to catch his breath.

Hadiya smiled. "It is good to always be working hard."

"I like to think so," Link answered casually, pushing some of the grass away so he could see the lake better. The guards were surrounding it now, and he could see Ganondorf standing apart from them, closer to the school but still supervising the investigation.

"I need to find Imparo," Link decided finally.

"You will not be able to go back in there," Hadiya said, a worried frown creasing her forehead.

"Well I can't just leave him there."

Link started to stand, but a small shove from Hadiya stopped him. "You will not make it in. I will go and look for him for you."

"I can't ask you to do that, Hadiya."

"Then I will ask it of myself. Wait here." Hadiya started to crawl through the grass, but just before she disappeared completely from Link's sight she paused and glanced back. "You may call me Hadi." Then she was gone.

Link stared in the direction she had gone in. "Hadi," he repeated. "I really hope you're not who I think you are." Link sighed sadly. If he was right about her, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to be her.

* * *

A rustling woke him up. He was surprised to see it was already dark; the moon was fairly high in the sky, and what few stars that managed to be bright enough that the city didn't block them out were twinkling above him. Crickets chirped around him, but they were too small to make the rustling noise that had awoken him.

Turning, he spotted Hadiya crawling back towards him. "I am sorry, Eddo," she said.

Link closed his eyes. "He got caught, didn't he."

Hadiya nodded. "I tried to show him a better way out of the school, but he wouldn't listen to me and he ended up walking right into two of my guards. There was nothing I could do."

"That's all right, Hadi; it was a risky thing for you to try anyway."

Hadiya sighed. "You should go. I need to go as well."

Link nodded. "I'll see you around."

Hadi nodded uncertainly. "Hopefully, around will be somewhere safer next time. Farewell, Eddo."

Link watched her start to leave again, back towards the school. "Hadi!" he whispered suddenly.

"Yes?"

He hesitated only briefly before continuing. "You can call me Link."

Hadiya didn't even pause before responding. "I know."

Link blinked in surprise as she left him once again. "Of course you do," he said with a quiet chuckle.

* * *

He arrived back at the rebel bunker by midnight, thoroughly exhausted. The rebel at the door let him in, and soon Link was being yanked towards General Impa's room by Impal.

"Nice to see you, too," Link commented casually as he was pulled along.

"Quite honestly, we didn't think you'd make it."

"Oh. I was wondering if you knew Ganondorf was there."

"Just a slight overlook on our part."

"_Slight_."

"Hey, you're still alive, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then quit complaining."

Link sighed, too tired to argue with the stubborn, middle-aged man. He was going to need all his energy to argue with the general anyway.

"Link!" Impa greeted him with surprise the moment he entered her room. "What a relief. We didn't think you'd make it."

"So I've heard," Link said as he took the seat offered to him. Glancing to his side he noticed there was another occupied chair next to him. "Arly?"

"Hello, Link," Arlene said warmly, a relieved smile on her face.

Impa sat down behind her desk, facing Link. "Report, Link."

Link frowned. Report? Where was he even supposed to start? "Well, we got into the school, and we found out what those plants are for."

Everyone leaned forward intently.

"They act as nurseries for Poison Mites. They're using the chemicals inside them to make a poison, which I suspect is what's making the Hylians in our district so sick."

Impa breathed in and leaned against the back of her chair. "They don't want us to be able to recruit anyone from there anymore. If they're all dead or too weak, they're useless to anyone."

Link tilted his head; that made sense.

Impal sighed. "We get most of our fighting force from the homeless there. No wonder they're targeting them."

Arlene hummed thoughtfully. "It would appear you either have to start delivering fresh water to everyone, or find a different source for your soldiers."

Impa grimaced. "Where's Imparo?"

Everyone sat in stunned silence for a long moment after Link told them what had happened; he had decided against telling them about Hadiya, but he told the rest of his story truthfully.

Finally Impa rubbed at her covered forehead with a hand. "What was that fool thinking? Where'd he even _get_ the bombs?"

Impal shook his head. "There's no way to know now. But, Imparo was a good soldier, we trusted him with a lot; we'll need to collapse our current exits and dig out some new ones. Maybe even replace a few tunnels entirely."

Impa waved a hand at him dismissively. "Go."

Link stared at her. "We're not going to plan a rescue?"

"For all we know he's probably already dead," Impa snapped at him. "And besides, we don't have the man power to risk going after one man."

"But-"

"Link," Arlene interrupted quietly. "Let it be."

Impa cleared her throat. "Now then, now that we know what these plants are being used for, we need to find out where, exactly, they're dumping this poison into the water."

Arlene shook her head slowly. "Find the bees, but not the nest, and they'll just move to a new spot."

Link frowned, not quite understanding, but Impa seemed to know what she meant.

"Then what do you propose we do? Blow up a school of children like what Imparo was about to do? Because that's your nest, Sage."

Arlene chuckled. "No, of course not, dear. But do you honestly think they store all of their finished batches of poison at the school? I'll bet you a rupee that there's a small station somewhere that keeps track of how much is being dumped into the water source."

Impa eyes twinkled with amusement. "A rupee? Sometimes I forget how old you are."

"Oh go and do some rebelling, dear," Arlene replied, shooing the other woman away.

Impa chuckled softly as she stood and left the room.

"You..." Link began hesitantly. "You kind of just made her leave her own room."

"Did I?" Arlene asked innocently as she stood and shambled over to Impa's desk. "Sometimes I overestimate my own powers of persuasion. It's because of my charm and dashing good looks." Arlene winked at him.

Link laughed. "I'm sure that's it." He watched as Arlene began to poke through some of Impa's papers. "What do you think of Impa?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?" Arlene still didn't look up from the papers she was shifting through.

"I mean... her methods."

"Ah. Those."

"Do you agree with them?"

"You mean, do I agree with blowing up a bunch of buildings that house Gerudo? Do you agree?"

"No."

"Then that's really all that matters, isn't it?"

"I'm not quite sure what you-"

Arlene sat down on Impa's chair. "Impa has been leading this rebellion for over thirty years now. She's stuck in her ways, because that's what's been working for her. That's what has been keeping her and her people safe all this time. Changing what you know works can be the scariest thing to do. _You_ have to convince her to do that."

"She won't listen to me!" Link protested.

Arlene pointed an accusing finger at him. "You just don't want to be the one to have to do it. Am I wrong?" She lowered the finger and continued when Link didn't answer. "You are closer to Impa than you think, Link. You are two sides of a coin, you are meant to balance the other. She will come to listen to you, in time, but it won't be easy. You're going to have to be patient. Time, as my grandson likes to tell people. And you will need to go through much of it before she'll change."

The door behind Link gave a squeak, and Impa came walking back inside. She paused. "You're in my chair."

Arlene looked at her with a bemused expression. "Am I?"

"Yes."

The single word left no room for argument, and so Arlene quickly moved back to her old chair.

"So..." Impa began as she sat down again. She cast a glare at Arlene when she saw that her papers had been rearranged. "Who's going to change?"

Link tensed; she had overheard part of their conversation. He raced to try and find something to cover them, but Arlene beat him to it. Unfortunately, she beat him to it in the worst possible way. "You will," the old woman said happily.

Impa looked up from trying to sort through her papers. "Stop talking about me when I'm not here," she said with a glare.

Link inwardly sighed when Arlene and Impa entered into one of their usual arguments. Instead of listening to the subtle insults being thrown around, Link replayed in his head the conversation he had just had with Arlene.

_"You are two sides of a coin..."_

Link stood abruptly, his chair falling over in his rush to get to his feet. Both Impa and Arlene stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"What's wrong with you now?" Impa asked impatiently.

"You," Link began, his mind rushing from the revelation he had just had. "You're Zelda!"

He could see Impa's jaw beginning to move behind her head covering, as if unable to say what she wanted to. Finally she glared at Arlene. "Stop talking about me when I'm not here, you damn, insufferable, old hag! How often do I have to tell you that!?"

"I'm right?" Link asked excitedly while Arlene just shrugged.

"Don't look at me, dear, he figured this one out on his own."

Zelda turned her glare onto Link. "Yes, you're right. Tell anyone and I swear I'll kill you, I don't care that you're supposed to be the legendary Hero of Time or not."

"I won't tell anyone," Link said, offended that she would even suggest such a thing. "But I thought you were supposed to be in hiding..."

"Hiding," Zelda scoffed as she pulled her head covering off. She shook her hair free and then glared once again at Link. "My family has been in hiding for generations now. Ever since Ganondorf took over. My mother, my grandmother, all hid like proper royalty, waiting for _you_ to finally show up and save the day. Waiting for a sign from the Goddesses."

"So... no offense or anything, but why aren't you doing that?"

Next to him Arlene leaned forward, as if she was about to hear one of her favorite stories.

Zelda's blue eyes stared at Link, gleaming with confidence. "I got bored."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! In fact, to all of you who are reading this, have a cookie! Yay cookies! **


	13. Chapter 12: Sending a Message

Chapter 12

Sending a Message

The lake was so still that as Link gazed down on it, he thought he had somehow managed to flip the world upside down so that he could stare at the sky by looking downwards. If the sound of birds chirping above him didn't create such a peaceful atmosphere, he would have been rather unsettled by the idea of turning the world upside down. Instead, though, he leaned back against a tree and continued to stare at the crystal clear water.

Link was just beginning to drift into sleep when he felt a piece of grass slap against his face. He tried to ignore it, but then another came, and another, and finally Link had to react. Turning, he glared at the old woman sitting next to him. "Arly, is there a reason you're doing that?"

Arlene slowly put down the piece of grass she had been just about to throw at him. "Doing what, dear?"

Link sighed.

"You seemed deep in thought, so I thought I'd offer you some grass to share it with me."

He frowned. "That doesn't-"

"Usually people offer a coin or something, but does it look like I have any money on me, kid!?"

"Not really."

"Good. Good. Now come on, ask what's on your mind."

Link hesitated before replying. "Impal's been sort of subdued lately. I mean, more so than usual."

Arlene hummed in agreement. "He misses Imparo. He thought of that kid like a son."

Link slumped his shoulders, feeling a flicker of guilt pass through him that he always felt when he thought about Imparo.

"Now what's really on your mind, kid?" Arlene asked.

Link rolled his eyes. How did she always know when there was something else? "As soon as Impa finds that station that's poisoning the Hylian district, she's going to blow it up, isn't she?" It was more of a comment than a question, but Arlene answered anyway.

"More than likely."

"But... it's not really a house filled with innocent families or anything, right? Everyone in there is doing something horrible."

"True."

Link glanced at her. "But?"

Arlene began to absentmindedly shred at another blade of grass. "What makes you think there's a but?"

"Well, it sounded like you had one."

"Not really. It sounds like you want one, though."

"I guess... I guess I'm just not used to this yet. The whole killing thing. It seems like there should be another way, that's all."

Arlene gave a thoughtful hum under her breath. "Like you said, anyone in that station is guilty of something."

"Exactly! So they deserve to die, because of all the people they've killed. They're not innocent."

"Nope."

"...But?"

Arlene chuckled. "Then again, they are just following orders."

Link sighed. "That's a lousy excuse. Impa tells me to do all sorts of crazy things, I don't always listen to her. Just following orders isn't an excuse."

"No. But being scared is. It's the best excuse in the world, in fact. Fear can drive you to do things you never thought you were capable of."

"What do the Gerudo have to be scared of?"

"Ganondorf. And what he'll do to them, or their sisters, or their daughters, if they disobey him."

Link fell silent as he considered this new insight. "What do you think should be done when they find the station?"

Arlene gazed up at the setting sun. "I really don't know, Link. This is our world, and we can only know what was right after it's been done. All we can hope to do is... limit the damage."

"But how do we know how to do that?"

Arlene grinned at him. "We don't! Now come on, it's getting dark, we should head back."

Link stood and then offered Arlene his hand to help her up.

"Oof! My knee's got that twinge again; there's a storm coming, that's for sure."

Link glanced at the perfectly clear sky, but didn't bother trying to argue with her. She - or rather, her knee - was never wrong when it came to the weather.

"Hurry up now, Link! We need to get back, instanter if not sooner!"

Link chuckled as he followed the old woman through the field. They entered the large patch of long grass that Hadiya had hidden him in months earlier, when he had been recovering from getting hit by the shockwave from Imparo's bomb. Ever since they had had to dig out new exits to their hideout under the city, they had a set of doors hidden within that long grass. Link had told Zelda about it, and she had liked the idea of having a route that wasn't immediately in the city.

Link pulled the doors open and helped Arlene down the first few steps before beginning to climb down himself. He stopped just before the grass swallowed him completely, just to take one more look at the lake as it shimmered peacefully. Another figure was walking through the field at the other side of the lake, and Link imagined him going to have a picnic or something equally normal. Then, with a frown, Link noticed that this figure appeared to be limping.

Wondering if maybe he needed help, Link started to head back the way he had come. Arlene poked her head back out of the doors. "What's your deal, banana peel?" she called after him. "You can't just leave these things open for anyone to trip on!"

But Link ignored her and started to jog around the lake. The figure was stumbling now, and nearly collapsed several times. Link quickly reached the person and managed to catch him just before he nearly fell once again.

"Help me," a weak voice mumbled from Link's arms.

"Hang on," Link said encouragingly, laying him down gently on the grass. "I'll get help and be right-" Link caught sight of the man's face; it was heavily bruised and swollen in several places, but the face was still easily recognizable. "Imparo?"

Above them, a distant roll of thunder reached their ears.

* * *

Link and Arlene were seated outside of the infirmary. There wasn't really that much to the rebel's hospital, but it offered a safe shelter for those who couldn't use the Gerudo's.

"This is taking forever," Link grumbled, tapping a forefinger against his knee.

"Patience, Link, bringing someone back from the brink of death takes some time."

"We should know something by now. Why isn't anyone telling us anything?"

"I don't even know why I'm sitting here with you!" Arlene suddenly began to complain as well. "I've got places to be, people to see, dinner to eat! ...Mostly dinner."

Link looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Sometimes he wondered if the woman just made more jokes when she was nervous. She didn't seem nervous, but then again she never really seemed anything.

"Link," Arlene began, noticing his glance. "Whatever happens in there, know it isn't your fault. You had no choice but to leave him behind."

Link didn't answer.

The door in front of them opened, and Impal came out. Link was on his feet before he even consciously decided to be. "Well?"

Impal nodded. "He'll live."

Link breathed a sigh of relief, and he heard Arlene doing the same beside him.

"Well that's a relief," Arlene said. "Now you have to figure out if he can be trusted."

Link frowned. "Why wouldn't he be?"

But Impal was already nodding. "I know. He'll be restricted to the hospital for now. It's not like he'll be strong enough to move anytime soon anyway."

"Why can't we trust him?" Link repeated.

Impal ignored him and went back into the infirmary, but Arlene patted at his arm. "He might be a spy now. It's rare for Ganondorf's prisoners to escape on their own."

"Maybe someone helped him?"

Arlene laughed out loud. "Who would do that? You should go see him, I can tell you want to anyway."

"But what about-"

"I think I can find my own way home, thank you very much. I'm old, but I'm not senile just yet, Fred."

"...I'm not-"

Arlene chuckled and she began to walk down the hallway. "I'm just messing with you. I know who you are, Bob."

Link rubbed at the back of his neck, staring after the old woman. Then he quietly opened the infirmary's door before stepping inside. It was dimly lit, to allow the few patients there to sleep while still giving the nurse enough light to see them by. Most there were just being treated for minor injuries; a few scrapes, a twisted ankle, but nothing too serious. Link quickly spotted Imparo at the far side of the room, several bags of liquids surrounding him and, in the midst of them all, Impal sitting quietly by his side.

As Link approached Impal nodded at him before standing and walking a short distance away. He was still close enough that he would be there if Imparo needed him, but far enough that the pair had some privacy.

"Eddo," Imparo mumbled sleepily. "They have really good drugs here, they're awesome... I feel like I'm flying or something."

Link grinned as he took the seat Impal had been using. "You sound a bit better now."

Imparo stared at Link with wide eyes. "They think I'm a spy. You don't think that, do you? I would never-"

"Would you calm down. Of course I don't think that. You escaped by your own sheer stubbornness and will power."

A smile twitched a the corners of the other boy's mouth. "That makes it sound really exciting."

"Well... it probably was."

Imparo's eyes flicked down to the blanket covering him. "Not really." His breath hitched. "Not at all, actually."

* * *

Today was the day Orca graduated. The young man had completely forgotten about it until he was yanked from his bed by his teachers and tossed out. He caught sight of Byrne just as the doors closed, the little nine year old staring after him with those large eyes of his. He still barely talked, but Orca knew Grandpa would look after him. In fact, the two seemed to have some sort of unspoken language between them, which freaked him out; especially when they would be staring at each other for a good few minutes and then suddenly look at him before bursting into a fit of silent giggles. He had no idea what they were saying about him, or even how they were saying it, but he didn't like it, and now that he was gone there was no way for him to defend himself against their unspoken insults. That annoyed him even more than the jokes themselves.

The sun was just beginning to poke its way above the city, and as Orca started to head down the long path towards it he found himself wondering what he was supposed to be doing. He wanted to find his brother, but he had no idea where the man was or even how to begin looking. He didn't even remember where his parents lived. Casting one last look back at the school, he set off.

The road was beginning to transform from loose gravel and dirt to paved asphalt when he passed by someone heading the other way. Or, at least, he _would_ have passed by this man, if the man hadn't suddenly stopped directly in front of him, making him nearly crash into him. Glancing up, Orca saw a young, well-muscled man with short, blond hair and blue eyes that were staring at him with a familiarity Orca was soon sharing.

"Ed? It is you!"

"Hi, Orca," the man said happily, right before Orca pulled him into a hug.

"You came to greet me, huh? That's really nice of you."

"Well I couldn't let you go off and try to figure this whole place out on your own. You'd probably end up getting killed on the spot."

Orca wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but his friend was already beginning to move down the path towards the city so he quickly fell in alongside him. "I would've figured it out," Orca protested.

"Sure," his friend replied sarcastically. "What was your plan, exactly?"

"Well, you know... trying to follow a plan makes people kind of high-strung, so I thought I'd just wing it."

Link laughed. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Well what about you? Where'd you get the clothes, Ed?" Orca gestured to Link's outfit, which wasn't overalls and a shirt like what Orca was used to seeing from school; instead it was comfortable looking pants and a dark blue shirt. "So... colorful."

"Wait 'til you see what the women wear."

"More colorful than you?"

Link nodded casually. "Prepare to be amazed, Orca. Don't let your brain explode while you're at it."

Orca gave his friend a playful shove, which barely budged the other man. "Brains don't explode! ...Do they?"

"In this city, Orca? Anything's possible."

To Orca, it seemed that they just took a few more extra steps and then suddenly they were surrounded by noise, blinding lights, and pure chaos. "This place is intense!" Orca shouted.

"Come on, this way," Link shouted back, pointing down a street. Orca glanced at the signs and was able to recognize a few words. One, the one that they were following, read Market District.

"Link, I don't want to go shopping!" Orca complained. "I need to check on my brother."

"This way!" Link repeated, and Orca wasn't sure if he was just ignoring him or if he just hadn't heard. With all the noise Orca couldn't really blame him for not hearing anything specific.

The market was a bit less disorderly, and as they stepped into the square a much better smell met his nostrils.

"Here," Link said suddenly, shoving a piece of paper into Orca's hands. "Go that way, to that shop over there, and when you get a chance read that."

"What store?" Orca asked, feeling overwhelmed still.

"Sera's New Sundries. It's right over there. Just go in and tell her Eddo sent you."

"Ed..." Orca began uncertainly. "Are you... really popular here?"

Link grinned at him. "Yeah, sort of."

Orca glanced down at the folded paper, about to open it to read it, when Link grabbed his hand. "Read it later, when you're inside. Now get going, I'll see you later."

Orca wanted to ask him why he couldn't just read it right then and there, but when he looked up his friend was already gone. "Ed?"

He glanced around for a moment but then gave up. Shoving the note into his pocket, he marched towards Sera's New Sundries.

* * *

Link watched from the alleyway, making sure that his friend stepped into the store before turning to leave. He felt pretty good about himself at the moment. He had accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time; he had helped his friend, left him a note telling him about his brother, and told Sera he was still alive, all in one action.

Imparo was waiting for him outside the city. Ever since he had started walking again, he had refused to go back to the city. For weeks he had even refused to leave the hideout, but then Link had managed to convince him to go to the lake. After that they went there everyday, and Link would try to keep the other boy moving around so he would recover from his injuries faster. After spending a few days jumping at every sound outside, Imparo seemed to actually like it better in the meadow, and it now took all of Link's convincing just to get him to go back in at the end of the day.

"Impa won't be happy if she found out about what you did," Imparo said nervously as they walked back to the lake together.

"Then I guess we just won't tell her."

Imparo nodded eagerly. "I won't tell her! Promise!"

"Thanks."

Every time Imparo got the chance, he would try to remind Link that he wasn't spying on them. It drove him insane, and at times he wanted to slap all the other rebels, just to make them stop throwing suspicious glances at Imparo every time they saw him. But, according to Zelda, the jury was still out on him, and until that time they were all going to keep a closer eye on him.

"We should head back to the hideout," Link said.

Imparo seemed to shrink into himself, his long shirt billowing in the breeze and his thick brown hair covering his eyes. "I guess."

As soon as they set foot back into the hideout, they were surrounded by rebels as they raced down the hallway.

"What's going on?" Link asked.

"We should find Impal!" Imparo suggested. Impal was the only other person who treated Imparo normally.

It didn't take them long to track down the large man, who was standing off to the side along with Zelda and Arlene.

"Just in time," Zelda said when she spotted them. "We've found the poisoning station. Get ready to head out, we're attacking now, before those scum have time to kill anymore Hylians."

Imparo's eyes widened. "Let's get our suits on, Ed!"

Zelda turned her icy blue ices onto Imparo. "You're staying here."

"But-"

"That's an order. Now let's go."

Link watched Impal and Zelda leave, running after the rest of the rebels. "Don't take it personally, Imparo," Link said. "You're still wounded."

"Yeah, sure," Imparo said bitterly before stomping off.

"Get going, Link," Arlene said. "I'll stay with him and try to knock some sense into him." She began to mutter as she followed after Imparo, "There's just only so long one person can spend feeling sorry for themselves!"

Link quickly ran into his room and quickly changed into his own rebel uniform. He still wasn't quite used to the material; it looked tight, but it wasn't and allowed for fast movement. It was also itchy. Wrapping the head covering around his head as he left, he charged after Impal and Zelda.

As he raced to keep up with the group, he thought back to what Arlene had told him that day at the lake.

_"All we can hope to do is... limit the damage..."_

As Link kept Zelda within his sight, he found himself wondering if he would be able to do that.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	14. Chapter 13: Protecting Hyrule

Chapter 13

Protecting Hyrule

The station was much smaller than Link had been expecting. Although he hadn't really been sure on what to expect, he had definitely not pictured the shack that now lay before him. It looked barely big enough to house more than two people at a time, never mind the large supplies of poison that they suspected to be in there. It was hidden beneath a large bridge that crossed a small stream; the stream itself wound around almost the entire city before it finally dumped itself into a dirty well at the Hylian District, but from what Link could tell there were no pipes or anything of that sort pumping any poison into the water from the station.

"Are we sure about his place?" Impal asked as the others waited for Zelda's orders.

Zelda unholstered her pistol. "Yes. Let's plant our charges and-"

"Hold on," Link interrupted. He ignored the furious glare she threw at him. "Doesn't this all seem just a bit weird to you? I don't about you, but I was expecting something a bit more... secure? We've managed to walk practically right up to it, and there's no guards here or anything. What's keeping _anyone_ from stumbling inside?"

Zelda hesitated as she glanced back at the shack. "There might be more to it."

Impal tilted his head. "Some sort of magic, maybe?"

"Alright, you've made your point, let's go in there and secure it first, see what we can find, then we'll blow it."

Zelda stepped forward to address the others. "Slight alteration of our plans," she whispered. "Impal, Eddo, and I are going in to investigate this place before we blow it." Zelda pointed to two others. "I want you two with us, watch our backs. The rest of you lay low and wait for further instructions."

Link quickly grabbed his own gun from his belt before following. No matter how much he practiced with it it still felt odd in his hand; then again, every weapon he'd handled since he joined the rebellion felt odd to him, and he had no idea why. It was as if his entire body was rebelling against carrying any sort of weapon.

The small group reached the metal door to the shack, still without any dangers revealing themselves. Impal gripped the door handle and then glanced at Zelda. With a nod from her he shoved the door open and then moved to the side, all in one deft movement. A single room met their eyes, dimly lit by a single lightbulb. Inside there was a small table with a few papers scattered over its surface. Other than that it was completely empty.

Zelda and Link looked at each other with matching expressions before stepping inside. Impal followed them, signaling for the other two to wait outside; there wasn't enough room for them anyway. Zelda moved straight for the papers, shifting through them with a scowl in her eyes.

"What are they?" Link asked while Impal skirted around the room, tapping at the walls with his gun.

"Impal would you stop that noise," Zelda snapped at the older man. "We saw the place from outside, there's no hidden rooms."

"Just being thorough," Impal said casually, not stopping with his search.

"These look like observation reports."

"Observations on what?" Link asked, trying to peer over the woman's broad shoulders to get a better look.

"It looks like... how quickly the poison spreads through the water. But these are old, the earliest dates back more than a month."

Link quickly took the papers when she offered them to him. Soon Zelda was joining Impal in his search for hidden rooms. Link stared at the documents with disappointment. Zelda was right, there was nothing useful on them. He didn't even recognize the names of the signatures at the bottom.

With a sigh he placed the papers back onto the table. For a while he watched Zelda and Impal moving around the room, investigating every crack in the paint that they found; he soon grew bored of this, however, and began to absentmindedly brush the thick layer of dust off of the table and onto the floor.

"There's nothing here," Zelda said finally. "This place was obviously abandoned a long time ago. Let's go."

Link started to towards the door when he heard someone sneeze in back of him. "Bless you," all three in the room said at once.

Link turned and stared at the couple, who were staring at each other just as suspiciously.

"Who just sneezed?" Zelda demanded.

"Wasn't me," Link said quickly.

Impal shook his head, and Zelda was soon staring at a spot on the floor.

Link glanced down as well, and noticed that, just at his feet, was a floorboard that looked like it had been pried loose recently.

"Alright then, let's just go," Zelda said loudly, nodding at Impal.

The large man strode purposefully over to the board before bending down and yanking it up with a hard tug. Both Zelda and Link kept their guns trained on the newly uncovered hole.

"Don't shoot!" a voice shouted from the darkness, a voice that Link felt he had heard before. As soon as the owner of the voice poked his head out through the hole, Link knew who he was looking at.

"_Sturgeon_?"

"Eh? Yes, that's me. Don't shoot! I'm just- Get your hands off me, sir!" Sturgeon shouted when Impal gripped him by his collar and pulled him out of the hole, setting him down back on the level floor.

"You know him?" Zelda asked uncertainly, still keeping her gun pointed at him.

"Yes, I know him," Link muttered as he holstered his gun. "He's a teacher at the scholar's school."

"That's you, eh?" Sturgeon asked, staring at Link. "The dratted hooligan."

Zelda turned to face the scholar. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

"Eh? Me? I'm just... uh... I'm just..."

"Stop trying to come up with a good excuse! Just tell me the truth or I'll kill you right now!"

"Ok, ok! I'm usually not doing things like this, but the Gerudo are having this big fancy ceremony back at the palace... with horses and everything! I think it's Ganondorf's birthday, or somebody important's birthday, anyway. All the Gerudo teachers were invited from the school, and so, naturally, they decided to leave all the grunt work with me. I'm too intelligent for stuff like this, I told them so! But did they listen? No, of course not! So I got stuck going out here tonight to make sure all the right amounts are being sent out... Look, please don't kill me!"

"And why shouldn't I?" Zelda snapped at him.

"Eh... well... because I'm a Hylian!"

"So?" Zelda scoffed. "You're helping the enemy, why should I care that you're Hylian or not?"

"Oh," Sturgeon suddenly looked rather dejected. "The young fellow over there gave a really inspiring speech about being Hylian before, so I sort of thought you all felt that way... guess not though."

Zelda strode forward and stuck her gun onto the man's head. "You're betraying your own people, killing them; to me that means you're not a Hylian anymore, in fact, you're less than a Gerudo."

"Whoa, hey, calm down, missy!"

Link noticed the dangerous glint in the woman's eyes - probably from having just been called missy - and he quickly stepped forward, moving Zelda's arm away and standing in front of Sturgeon. "Wait a minute! He's important at the school! For Ganondorf's project with this poison! We could find some way to use him, can't we?"

Sturgeon nodded eagerly. "Hey, I have no love for Ganondorf, believe me. If you want me to tell you anything, just let me know!"

"See?" Link said with relief. "He wants to help!"

Zelda glared at him, but Link continued to meet her gaze. "Fine," she said eventually. "But if I even suspect he's lying to us about anything, even his favorite color, I will kill him."

"Fair enough," Link said, stepping aside.

"Fair enough!?" Sturgeon shouted. "How is that fair!? I don't even _have_ a favorite color! Wait a minute! I have places to be!" Zeda ignored him as Impal dragged him outside.

Just before Impal left the building, he glanced back at Zelda. "Don't go anywhere until I get back," he warned quietly.

Zelda waited patiently for Impal to leave before turning to Link. "Let's check out this underground room, shall we?" Zelda asked as she slipped her gun back into its holster.

"Should we wait for Impal?" Link asked, but Zelda was already sitting down and swinging her legs over the edge. He watched her slip in and then rolled his eyes before following. "Guess not."

Link fell a short ways before landing on another wooden floor. This area was much bigger, but there was so little lighting he could barely see anything. There was a small click, and suddenly the room was flooded with bright light.

"Found the light switch," Zelda reported as Link tried to squint past the light.

His eyes quickly adjusted, and he soon found himself in a room that was much more like what he had been expecting to find originally. There were several pipes that dug into the walls, obviously leading straight to the stream from underground. The ends that were visible from inside were covered by an odd looking straining device, as well as several vials filled with a dark purple mixture.

Zelda tapped at one of the vials curiously, creating a gentle clinking sound. "This must be the poison."

Link nodded. "Looks like it."

"Alright then, let's see if we can shut this thing down."

"You mean you're not going to blow it up?"

Zelda chuckled. "Oh I am, don't worry. But I think first we should remove all this poison, just incase more of it gets into the water when we blow it."

Link nodded slowly and then frowned; she had finally said something he agreed with. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he quickly joined Zelda near the control panels. There were so many buttons that they couldn't even guess as to their purpose that eventually Zelda grew frustrated and started to just pull the vials free from the devices. Link quickly joined her and by the time they had finished, the pipes were making a very loud and unsettling clanking sound.

"I think we might want to get out of here," Link commented, trying to keep his voice calm as Zelda smashed the vials into the floor.

"Good idea," she said once finished. They moved toward the hole in the ceiling and Link was just about to help Zelda climb back up when he noticed a door.

Zelda seemed to notice it as well, as she quickly strode over to it. "How big is this place?" she asked as she pushed the door open.

They stepped though, and found themselves in a long hallway with beige colored walls and a wooden floor.

Link breathed in sharply as he stared at his new surroundings. "This place looks like-"

"Our hideout," Zelda finished for him.

They looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Just what is going on here?" Zelda whispered. "I recognize this area... it was the first few tunnels we ever dug out; we had to move a few months later, but we collapsed the entry points. There shouldn't be anyone here."

Link wandered down the hallway, and he heard Zelda following behind him. An uneasy feeling began to grow inside of him, getting stronger and more intense every time he took another step. A brief flicker of a memory flew through his mind, so quickly that he barely had time to even notice it before it was gone. Zelda, only not the one he knew, caught in some sort of fire trap... stuck, and surrounded by enemies, and he was the only one there to save her. He had to save her, because he had spent so many long months trying to protect her. It was his job to protect her.

"Link?" Zelda's voice brought him back to the present, and he realized he had stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"I think we should leave," Link said.

Zelda seemed slightly taken aback. "What for? I intend to investigate, you can go back if you want."

Link bit back a frustrated sigh when she stepped around him and continued towards the door at the hallway's end.

A smile twitched at Zelda's lips when he quickly followed after her. "If I remember right," she said quietly, the smile gone. "This door leads to-"

She never got to finish her sentence, however, when the door opened as if of its own accord. Zelda and Link had their guns trained on the open doorway instantly, and two Gerudo women stepped into the hallway. They seemed just as surprised to see them as Link and Zelda were, but the women didn't hesitate to point their own pistols on the pair of Hylians.

"Halt!" one of the Gerudo shouted.

"We were already stopped," Zelda retorted. "Lower your weapons."

"...You lower yours!" the other Gerudo shouted. In the dim lighting and from the distance, Link couldn't quite tell the women's ages, but from the voice of the one that had just spoken he imagined that she, at least, was probably fairly young.

"Ok," Zelda said slowly. "It would appear we're at a bit of an impasse here. Tell you what, we'll just leave."

The second Gerudo, the younger one, was beginning to lower her weapon when the first quickly stopped her. "I don't think so, Hylians!" the older woman shouted, spitting out the word Hylian as if it were an expletive. "Lower your weapons or we _will_ shoot you."

"Fine with me," Zelda muttered.

Link realized what she was intending to do next a split second too late. He opened his mouth to protest, but the woman had already fired off two shots. Reacting to the noise, Link tackled Zelda to the ground; a Gerudo bullet cut through the air just above his head, passing through the spot he had been just a moment earlier.

"Get off of me!" Zelda shouted as she quickly leaped back to her feet. The two Gerudo were collapsed onto the ground. While Link stood up himself, Zelda moved closer to investigate the bodies.

A low groan from one of them, the second one, had Zelda preparing to shoot at her again. Link was there in an instant, yanking her arm away from the girl and soon finding himself under the fierce yet familiar glare of Princess Zelda.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Come on, look at her!" Link shouted. "She's going to bleed out in just a few minutes if we don't do something!"

"_Do_ something? I was _going_ to do something," Zelda replied. "I was going to shoot her again."

"Would you just stop it! She looks, what, fifteen? Sixteen? Just let it go!"

Link felt Zelda suddenly yank her arm free; he tried to grab the gun from her, but the deafening sound of the pistol going off forced him to realize he had been too slow.

"What is it with you, Link?" Zelda asked as she holstered her pistol and began to march back the way they had come. "We'll need reinforcements before we explore this place more."

Link couldn't tear his eyes away from the two dead bodies laying before him. He moved only when the pool of blood was about to touch his boots.

"What happened to you, Zelda?" Link asked. His voice was quiet, but Zelda heard him anyway. She paused, just outside the laboratory.

"What happened to _me_?" Zelda hissed. "What in the goddesses' names do you mean by that?"

"Something must have happened for you to act the way you do. What happened?"

A snarl grew on the woman's face, and she stepped closer to Link. "What, the oppression of my people isn't enough for you? What do you want, Link!? We're at war!"

"You just killed a kid! Don't tell me this is just war!"

"If you love those people so much why don't you go join Ganondorf then!"

"Not all Gerudo are evil!"

"No! You're wrong!" Zelda shouted, her voice suddenly thick with an emotion Link couldn't identify. It wasn't the anger that was typically found in her voice when talking about anything Gerudo. This was something entirely new. "They're all evil, and they all deserve to die! And I will make sure they do, if I have to slit every single one of their throats myself!"

"You can't kill them all!"

"I'll do it!" Zelda screamed. "I'll make sure it's done!"

"You're killing children," Link repeated.

"They killed my daughter!"

It was shouted with such rage and pain that Link himself could almost feel the emotions that were swirling around the woman's eyes.

"An eight year old little girl, but that didn't stop them. I lost everything that day. They didn't care, so why the hell should I? Tell me that, Link."

Link remained silent, unable to come up with anything to say. It wasn't until he noticed a tear rolling down the woman's face that he knew what to do; stepping forward quickly, he pulled the older Hylian into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

Zelda tensed before pushing him away from her. "It's a war," she said, her voice more calm. "People die. Accept that fact or get the hell out of my rebellion."

Link watched her disappear into the laboratory, his shoulders slumped. Another one of his strange memories that couldn't possibly be his own flickered through his mind. The same Zelda he had remembered earlier, only much younger than before, appeared directly in front of him, earnest eyes gazing into his own.

_"Link... now, we are the only ones who can protect Hyrule! Please!"_

Finally he followed after Zelda towards the laboratory, not glancing back at the corpses they had left behind.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 14: Days Off

Chapter 14

Days Off Aren't What They Used to Be

Impal was just entering the shack when Zelda and Link climbed out from the underground tunnels they had discovered.

"I thought I told you to wait for me," Impal complained. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but one glance at Zelda's expression made him change his mind. "Find anything interesting?"

"Seal this place up," Zelda ordered. "I want eyes on it at all times."

"Yes, ma'am," Impal replied; even though he looked worried he still rushed off to carry out Zelda's orders.

"Do you have any idea what's going on down there?" Link asked curiously, desperate to break the heavy silence that was currently between them.

Zelda's back was still turned to him, but he noticed her shoulders seemed to tense at his question. "Not a clue," she answered, but there was something in her voice that hinted she was lying.

Link frowned, uncertain if he should pester her some more, when Impal returned.

"What did you find down there?" the man asked curiously. Link noticed something in the way he was standing, as if he was incredibly nervous about something despite the calm in his voice.

_"What's up with him?"_ Link wondered to himself as Zelda answered the other man.

"Tunnels. _Our_ tunnels."

Impal frowned. "What? Did you see anyone down there?"

"No."

Link felt his feeling of unease return. Zelda obviously felt a need to lie about this to Impal. Why, he had no idea, but as he continued to watch Impal he noticed the man almost looked relieved at Zelda's answer.

He really had no idea what was going on; last he had checked Zelda had trusted Impal more than anything. Deciding that maybe she was just upset over their earlier conversation, Link resolved to find a better time before bringing up the matter. Besides, he needed to talk to Arly. A lot had happened, and he needed her insight and calm.

* * *

Arly gave a tired sigh as she leaned back in her chair, the book in her lap long forgotten.

"Did you know?" Link asked her.

"Yes," Arly replied without even thinking to hesitate.

"Why didn't you tell me!?"

"You didn't have to know, and honestly it was none of my business to tell."

"Didn't have to know?" Link repeated doubtfully. "Don't you think it would've made things a bit easier for me to talk to her if I knew the Gerudo _killed_ her only child!?"

Arly waved her hand dismissively.

"When did it happen?"

"A long time ago, way before you were born." Arly sighed again. "It was what pushed her into starting this whole rebellion. Before that little one died, Zelda kept herself hidden along with her daughter, just like her parents and grandparents had done. But then... she lost a lot, and grew tired of waiting for someone who could wield the Master Sword. She wants to end Ganondorf's reign herself. I think, in her mind, that will make everything all right. If some good can come from what happened."

Link slumped down into his own chair, gazing at the blue walls around him. If he squinted a bit he could imagine he was surrounded by a vast ocean, the kind he had read about only in books.

"It won't, of course," Arly continued.

"What do you mean?"

"She is trapped in a cycle with that man, and so are you. Death, rebirth, revenge; it's always surrounded the three of you, and it will continue to."

"How do you break a cycle like that?"

Arly shrugged. "I'm not sure you can. Ganondorf is a powerful being, not quite of this world. If you kill him he'll just be reborn, and this whole mess will start again eventually."

"So we have to find a way to imprison him. ...Again."

Arly chuckled quietly. "Better make it a good prison, kid, because if history is any judge he'll find a way to break out after a while."

"Any suggestions?"

Arly gestured towards the book shelves. "No, but they might have something."

* * *

Link gave a low groan, clutching at his head with both hands and letting the heavy book fall to the ground. Arly tutted at him, but he didn't bother to pick it up. "There's nothing in here," Link complained. "It's all magic, and sages, and these things called... light arrows. Are those even real?"

"Possibly not," Arly said. "Legends have a way of exaggerating certain things. But... then again, possibly yes."

"Here's one thing I don't get," Link said as he bent over the table they were working at to examine another book. Finally he found the page he wanted and pointed at it. "The Hero of Winds, why was he given the Triforce of Courage? He's not even related to me, and I thought these things run in the blood... like with Zelda."

Arlene shrugged. "The goddesses must have made an exception for this one. He showed courage no one else ever could. That day that he received the Triforce of Courage was the day you and he, and his family, became linked together in a very special, unique way. Besides... you don't need to share the same blood to be a family."

Link frowned as he gazed at the picture of the Hero of Winds. "I suppose not," he said finally.

"Perhaps..." Arlene said slowly. "Perhaps all you have to do is stab the Master Sword back into Ganondorf?"

"Would that work? Would he become a statue again, like before?"

"It's possible. But then again, he's probably taken precautions against that."

Link snorted. "Yeah, by taking the Master Sword and hiding it in his palace."

Arly gave out a thoughtful hum. "Maybe we should track down some sages?"

"All six of them?"

"It's worth a shot," Arly said with a shrug. "I'll start with the records we have from the register, and see what I can come up with. In the mean time... you might want to go talk to Zelda. I told you before, you're two sides of the same coin; she's going to need someone to talk to, and I don't think she's going to trust anyone else right now."

There it was again; that hint that Impal was suddenly untrustworthy. A surge of frustration went through him. "What do you know about those tunnels we found?" he asked forcefully.

Arly gestured for him to move closer. "They're probably just the Gerudo moving into the tunnels that we seal up, but if what Zelda suspects - and what I also suspect - is true, then they're a very dangerous suggestion about the rebellion."

"I don't understand."

"Good! You'd probably give the game away! Let Zelda worry about it for now."

"And you?" Link asked tiredly.

"Of course, and me. As long as I'm around, neither of you will ever be truly alone. Be sure to tell her that. I have some ideas for her, and I'd like for her to talk to me here rather than me going over there."

"Fine," Link said as he stood.

"Oh, and Link? Watch your back down there."

* * *

Link arrived back at the rebel's hideout with Arlene's warning still floating through his mind. He raced to find an idea, any idea, that would change how he should think of the rebellion, but he couldn't come up with anything. Nothing at all. It made sense that the Gerudo would move into their old tunnels if they had managed to find them, it would make it easier for them to search for Zelda and the others. So why was Zelda and Arlene acting so odd about the whole thing? Sure it was a scary thought that the Gerudo might be right next to them, but it wasn't like the rebellion had wild parties down there. The Gerudo could search all they wanted, they wouldn't find their actual base. What else would make sense?

Sighing he made his way to Zelda's room. Impal was in there as well, and they both appeared tense. By their expressions, however, Link could tell they were trying to hide their uncomfortableness.

"General, can I talk to you?" Link asked.

"Of course," Zelda replied, sounding almost relieved. "Excuse us, Impal."

The large man gave a grunt and quickly left the room.

"Arly wanted me to let you know she wants to talk to you about something."

He heard Zelda give a sigh. "Why can't that woman come here? I'm busy, I can't spend half the day trying to get to her house without anyone seeing me."

Link shrugged.

"Fine, fine. I'll head there tomorrow. Was there anything else?"

Link moved closer, so that he could whisper without Zelda mishearing him. "I'd like you to tell me what you're thinking about those tunnels."

"Don't be silly," Zelda replied, just as quietly. "I'm not thinking anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

Just as Link was about to leave, Zelda called his name. "Watch your back."

* * *

It was Link's day off. Technically the rebellion didn't offer days off, but at certain times there would be a lull of activity, such as today. Zelda had gone to visit Arly and hadn't returned, even though two days had already passed. The others were left to their own devices; Impal kept them busy training, but Link managed to slip away.

Now, dressed in regular clothes, he meandered around the city aimlessly. Letting the noise and activity of the others surround him, he felt that he could slip away from everything; everything he was supposed to do, finding the Master Sword, stopping Ganondorf, seemed a long way away when he was lost in the crowd of Hylians and Gerudo.

Slipping into a nearby alleyway, he watched the two peoples walking around. They ignored one another, together but obviously separated. He observed this with a frown. He knew getting Zelda to change her mind about how to go about fighting the Gerudo would be hard, but then here it was again, this sense of being separate from each other, in almost every single person around him.

He suddenly remembered a tree, which may not be quite so odd, but as he delved deeper into the memory he realized it was one of his most ridiculous memories yet. The tree used to talk to him. He recalled once, a long time ago, that it had told him about the three goddesses, and how they had created all life on Hyrule. So if everything shared the same parentage, why couldn't everything get along better? He tried to find the answer to his question in his memories, but couldn't. For some reason he had never asked that question to the tree. Or maybe he had, and the tree just hadn't had an answer for him.

"Eddo?"

The voice of a girl caught him by surprise. He whirled around and spotted her, leaning against the wall of the alleyway, a large bruise covering the entire right side of her face.

"Beth?" Link could easily recognize her, but her appearance was so different from how it used to be he couldn't quite connect his memories of the woman with what he was seeing now.

"Oh, Eddo!" Beth suddenly launched herself forward, gripping him tightly and burying her face into his shirt.

"What happened? Are you ok?"

He felt Beth shake her head against his chest, but she didn't answer in words.

"Beth," Link gently pulled her away and looked into her wide, terrified eyes. "What happened?"

"It was awful, Eddo, just awful. I didn't know what to do, and nobody's helping me."

"What happened?"

"I couldn't stop them! I really couldn't, and neither could Mother! But we tried!"

"Who? Beth, what happened?" Link repeated, dreading the answer.

Beth wiped the tears from her face. "Yesterday... a bunch of Gerudo came into the store. They arrested Orca!"

"_What_? What for!?"

"Please don't yell at me, Eddo!" Beth said, fresh tears beginning to stream down her face.

Link quickly pulled her into a hug. "I'm not, I'm sorry. Come on, let's get you home, back to Sera, and then we can-"

"No, that's just it," Beth said, pulling away. "They arrested Mother, too."

"_Both_ of them were arrested?"

Beth nodded quickly. "They said Orca was suspected of conspiring with the rebellion, and of having books; they said they had a witness, that someone saw him with a letter or something, a few months ago, and only just reported it now. When Mother tried to stop them, to explain to them that Orca was innocent, they arrested her, too. They were going to arrest me, but I managed to escape. Oh, Eddo, what are we going to do?"

_"...someone saw him with a letter..."_

Link felt sick. He had given Orca that letter, to explain about where his brother was and that he was safe. He thought he had convinced Orca to hide it quickly enough, but apparently it hadn't been enough. He recalled Impal's warning, on the very first day he had met him: you talk to people, you put them in danger. Why hadn't he listened to the man?

Link turned sharply. "Don't worry, Beth," he said, gazing with hard eyes into the crowd of Gerudo and Hylians. "We'll get them back."

* * *

It took some convincing, but eventually he managed to get Beth to follow him back to the register. As he passed the receptionist, he could feel both her and Beth staring at him, and more than likely sharing similar thoughts: Was he crazy?

Link was beyond caring what the receptionist thought of him, however, and Beth needed a safe place to stay for a while. Not to mention Zelda was still with Arly, which made it much easier for him.

Both Arly and Zelda looked equally surprised when Link and Beth stepped inside.

"Oh!" Beth exclaimed as she looked around. "I never knew this was here!"

"Eddo..." Zelda began uncertainly. "What's going on here?"

Link caught her gaze. "I need a favor."

* * *

"Are you insane!?" Zelda shouted.

"I don't think so..." Link replied calmly. He glanced over when he heard Arly trying to muffle her laughter. She and Beth were seated around a table, where the elder woman was showing Beth some pictures from one of her books.

Link and Zelda were discussing the matter of Orca and Beth and her family in a corner of the room, and throughout most of the conversation Zelda had managed to keep her voice low. Now, however, she seemed to forget all about Beth.

"Oh, good," Zelda said sarcastically. "It's good to know that a perfectly sane person would want to break into the Gerudo prison to rescue just two people."

"Not just two!" Link argued. "We could set them all free!"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "This is really not the best time for this."

"Alright fine! Look, I may not know what you and Arly seem to know about those tunnels we found, but here's what I do know: I got my friend arrested, and it's my responsibility to fix it."

"You're being an idiot," Zelda snapped before moving to join Arly and Beth.

"Is that all you have to say?" Link asked. "You don't even want to know if I have a plan!"

"Do you?" Zelda asked, casting a curious look over her shoulder at him.

"Well... not quite... but I'm working on one!"

Arly finally looked at him. "You're missing an important piece of this dilemma, dear."

Link tried to think of what he was missing, but couldn't come up with anything. "I am?"

"Why would this mysterious witness tattle on Orca now of all times. Why not right away? There are no extra benefits that are being offered now, the reward for turning in a Hylian is the same as it always was. So why now?"

"I don't know... maybe he just changed his mind about staying silent?"

He heard Zelda sigh, and Arly looked like she was resisting a very strong urge to roll her eyes. "Think, dear. This happens only after you discover those tunnels. Someone is trying to distract us from what's really going on, and capturing the friends of..." Arly glanced over at Beth, who seemed to be wholly absorbed with the pictures in her book. "The friends of someone like _you_," Arly's emphasis on the word you left no doubt in Link's mind that she was talking about the Hero of Time. "That serves as a fairly good distraction, don't you think?"

"But nobody knows I'm... you know... except for you guys."

Arly and Zelda glanced at each other, and Link noticed an expression of pure hurt flash across Zelda's face. Then it was gone, and Zelda spoke with the same confidence she always did. "Obviously someone found out. And trying to rescue them would just get us all killed. I'm sorry, Eddo, but this just isn't something we can do right now."

Silence fell for a while, as Link struggled to find an argument that would convince Zelda; such a task was difficult, however, when he didn't even understand what was keeping her from agreeing with him in the first place.

"Come on, we should head back," Zelda said finally.

Arly nodded. "Beth can stay here with me for a while, until we figure something else out."

"Thanks," Link replied dejectedly as he followed the Hylian princess out of the room.

The receptionist stopped them before they could leave the building. "You two might want to take a look at this," she said, brushing her green hair out of her eyes. "This evening's news."

Zelda snatched the thin computer screen that the other woman handed to her, her eyes narrowing as she increased its volume.

Link quickly joined her, peering over her shoulder.

"Attention, Hylians!" a bulky Gerudo woman was saying into a microphone. "You are about to be addressed by Lord Ganondorf himself! Cease any activity you are doing, and give your king your full attention!"

Ganondorf soon took the place of the woman, a smug expression on his face. "I know that one of you is not who you claim to be. I have two of this person's friends in my prison. If this person wishes for his friends to live, he must turn himself over to me before curfew tomorrow." Ganondorf suddenly leaned closer to the camera. "You cannot hide from me forever, Hero of Time. I know you are out there... turn yourself in, _Eddo_."

The screen went dark, and Link looked up to find both Zelda and the receptionist staring at him. Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose, as if to quell a sudden headache. "He knows who you are."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**So now that we've been on this new update schedule for two weeks, I was wondering what y'all thought of it. Too fast, too slow, just right? ...By the way, if you think it's too slow then tough noogies, 'cause I ain't going any faster than this. If you think chapters are coming too fast however, and you feel like it's too much, please do let me know! **

**Anyways, I hope you have a great weekend!**


	16. Chapter 15: Watch Your Back

**Greetings, my lovely readers! It's Monday, and we all know what that means! That's right, it's the day of the moon! Hooray for moon day! Oh and I've got another chapter for y'all, too. I hope you enjoy it :-)**

* * *

Chapter 15

Watch Your Back

Link sat with Beth dejectedly, his back turned to Zelda and Arlene, who had been in a hushed conversation since they had seen the news.

"Can I please join you guys?" Link asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"No!" Both Zelda and Arlene snapped impatiently.

With a sigh Link turned back to Beth, who was running her fingers over the captions that were meant to explain what the pictures she was looking at were. "Can you read these?" Beth finally asked quietly.

Link shrugged. "Yeah, sort of."

Beth eagerly turned the book towards him. "What is this a picture of?"

Link didn't even have to read the words to recognize this picture, but he humored the girl anyway and took the time to point out each word as he read it. "The Three Goddesses in the Creation of Hyrule."

Beth leaned forward, staring at the book with wide eyes. "Amazing. They're so beautiful."

Link smiled when he noticed she wasn't looking at the picture, but at the letters below them.

"Ed, you should've said you could read and write!" Beth whined. "I could've dictated to you my inner most thoughts, and you could've written them down for me so that they're never lost! I have some really good thoughts, you know."

Link tried to hide his nervousness from his face. "I'm sure you do."

Beth nodded, content that he seemed to agree with her. Then she glanced towards Zelda and Arlene. "What are they talking about, anyway?"

"Life in general, I suppose."

Beth giggled. "Silly old grandmas!"

Suddenly both of the older women turned to face the pair sitting at the table. Beth gave a nervous squeak, "Did they hear me?"

"Eddo, get over here," Zelda snapped.

Link gave Beth a reassuring smile before quickly scurrying over to them. "It's about time! This is about me, you do realize that, right?" Link complained as he joined their private meeting.

"Oh hush up, you," Arlene said. "This is your fault it's about you!"

Link found he couldn't argue with that, and so he simply gestured at Zelda to say what she wanted to.

"We have a plan," Zelda began. "You're not going to like it."

"I usually _don't_ like your plans. What is it?"

"We're going to break into the prison."

Link blinked in surprise. "So far I'm really liking this plan!"

"But you're not coming."

"Oh. You're right, now I'm not liking it. Why aren't I coming!?"

"It's too risky, if Ganondorf catches you we lose everything. We need to get the Master Sword first, and this gives us the perfect opportunity to get it."

"How so?" Link asked with a frown.

"Ganondorf is going to be expecting something like this, so he's going to boost the security at the prison. Nothing we can't handle, of course," Zelda added, the glimmer of confidence never once leaving her eyes. "But while everyone's focused on the prison, I'll have a small strike team sneak into the palace and they'll get the Sword. ...It's about time the rebellion did something useful for a change."

Link frowned at her words, but couldn't be bothered to try and figure out what she meant by them. "And in the mean time I'll just sit here with Arly?" he asked in frustration.

Arlene nodded. "That's the plan, Stan!"

"...My name's not-"

"Focus, Link," Zelda interrupted. "Now you stay here, understand? I have to get going to organize everything on my end."

"Good luck," Arlene called after her as the woman left.

"I should be going with her!" Link protested. "Why is it any more dangerous for me to go than her? If Ganondorf catches her the game is over, too!"

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Bob. Ganondorf won't find Zelda if he catches Impa."

Link desperately tried to figure out what the woman meant by that, but couldn't. "What does that even mean!?"

"Here," Arlene said, ignoring his question as she handed him a muffin. "Eat up and then get going back to the rebel base."

"What for?" Link asked, his mouth already half full with the tasty treat. "Zelda wants me to stay here."

"I have decided that it's time Sturgeon was released and sent back to his school."

"I thought the rebellion still had more questions for him."

"This is more important. We need allies on the inside, and Sturgeon takes up a key role within the Gerudo. He may serve useful at some point."

"If you say so. I still think I should be in the attack. This is my fault, anyway."

"Yes, it is. So don't go making it worse by not listening to me now. Get moving, Bob, it's a long walk back and you still have to make sure Sturgeon makes it back to the school safely! And remember, don't let anyone see you letting him out. And remember to watch your back!"

Waving goodbye to Arlene and Beth, Link quickly moved to do as he was bade. Arlene was right, he had gotten his friends into this mess by not listening to them before; so, he would let them worry about the details and just do what he was told. For now, anyway.

By the time he made it back to the base, it was completely empty. A low whistle escaped his lips as he wandered down the eerily quiet halls. "She sure moves fast."

As he made his way to the room Sturgeon was being kept in, he wondered if Zelda's plan would actually work. Would they really be able to get the Master Sword and free all the prisoners? Or was she just biting off more than she could chew this time? He knew Zelda was growing more impatient with trying to take down Ganondorf, and the smug look in his eyes during his news broadcast, that expression that told them all he thought he had finally won, might have been enough to push the woman over the edge.

With a sigh he slid the heavy bar from Sturgeon's door and pulled it open.

"Well it's about time someone came here to check on me!" Sturgeon instantly greeted him. "I need more paper!" The man with the large head shook a pile of papers at him, all covered with sloppy handwriting. "I can't write down everything you people want to know if you don't even give me enough paper!"

"Sorry, Sturgeon, but it's time for you to go home now," Link said casually, gesturing towards the open door.

"Eh? What is it with you people?! First you want to know everything I do - which, by the way, is probably impossible, given the pathetic size of your pathetically small heads - and now you don't! Make up your minds, you hooligans!"

"Something's sort of come up, so..." Again Link gestured to the door.

"Well I'm not going and you can't make me!"

For a moment Link imagined Sturgeon as a little kid, and what he had been like then. If he acted this way as an adult, he must have been a menace to his parents as a child. "I thought you didn't want to stay here anyway," Link replied in confusion.

"Well I didn't, but it's a bit too late now, isn't it? What am I supposed to tell my colleagues when I get back? Eh? Tell me that, kid!"

"I guess you could just say you went on sabbatical or something."

"Oh ho! Look at you, using big words! Lousy, dratted hooligan, that's the worst excuse I've ever heard!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"You don't just go on a sabbatical without telling anyone! There's paperwork to file, people to tell, and then you get your request denied because you're Hylian, and then you go back to work! That's how that works! If I use that excuse they'll know I'm lying right away, and then something like that will get put on my record!" He frowned when Link didn't react to that the way he wanted him to. "Put on my record _permanently_!"

"That's it?"

"It's a big deal! I'll never get a vacation day ever again if I have something on my record!"

Link rolled his eyes and gripped the man by his arm before pulling him out of the room. "You just said you never get vacation days anyway."

"But...but..."

"Look, your brother might be in trouble, ok?"

Sturgeon's eyes widened behind his spectacles. "Orca? He's... he's in trouble? Leave it to that hooligan to get himself into trouble! First it was with constantly stealing Mother's cookies, and now it's... it's... what has he done now?"

"Nothing we can't help him with, but all the same we might need you back at the school. If anything's going on in there, you have to find a way to let us know."

"...Alright, I'll help. I didn't know Orca was with you people. You should've told me that right from the start!" Sturgeon paused for a brief second. "By the way, the first few pages of what I gave you people were all lies."

Link sighed. "I'll be sure to tell them. Now come on, before someone sees us."

"Someone sees us!? You mean you people aren't even all on the same page!? No wonder this war is taking so long!"

Link ignored the man's spluttering as he continued to pull him through the rebel base. Opening the door that led towards the exit near the lake, he stopped short when the figure of Imparo met his eyes.

"Eddo?" Imparo asked uncertainly.

"Hey, Imparo," Link replied, still keeping his grip on Sturgeon, who had mercifully fallen silent.

"...Or should I call you Link now?" Imparo said with a small grin.

"Saw today's news, did you?" Link asked casually.

Imparo nodded. "You could've told me."

"Sorry, buddy. If it makes you feel better I didn't tell anyone else either."

Imparo gave a shrug. "So what's going on now?"

Link glanced over at Sturgeon. "Oh... this... uh, why aren't you with Impa and the others?"

Imparo grimaced. "I wasn't here when they went out; guess I missed it. I was going to catch up with them, but..." Imparo gestured towards Sturgeon.

Link hesitated. "I have to make sure he gets back to the school alright."

"I'll help!" Imapro said eagerly, stepping aside so Link had a clear path to the stairs.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Don't worry, Link, I won't tell anyone what you're doing. I've got your back!"

Nodding in thanks, Link continued on his way, closely followed by Imparo.

Soon Sturgeon was walking on his own, down the path back towards the school with a dazed look in his eyes. He was still in shock over having been kicked out of the rebel base, but Link was confident that oversized brain of his would come up with something by the time he arrived at the school.

Imparo stood behind Link, more hidden in the long grass than Link was as they watched Sturgeon disappear behind the large double doors.

"Well then, that's that," Link said. "Let's head back."

He turned to go back to the rebel base, and Imparo stabbed a knife into Link's side.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 16: Home

**Ugh... my air conditioner is broken... please excuse me while I go die now.**

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Chapter 16

Home

Pain like he had never felt before flooded through him; his entire side burned around the knife, and that pain radiated throughout the rest of his body like spikes of fire. This was worse than when he was killed by the monster in his shadows, so worse that his dreams felt like pinpricks compared to this. He stared down at the knife and then back up at Imparo in shock. "W...Why?"

There was a glint of horror in Imparo's eyes that was covered by rage so quickly Link felt he must have just imagined it. "Because, you're the enemy of my king," Imparo said simply, watching without expression as Link fell to his knees. "If I bring you to him, he'll give me such a big reward!"

A shudder ran through Link, forcing his side to flare up to a new level of pain. "They did something to you... didn't they... when they caught you." Link stared up at him. "You didn't escape, they let you go."

Imparo rolled his eyes and reached down, pulling Link harshly to his feet. "And the award for slowest realization goes to..."

Link tried to glare at him, but the sweat dripping into his eyes made it hard for him to focus on where the other boy even was. "Whatever they did, you have to fight it, buddy."

Imparo gave Link a shove. "Move."

Link tried to take a step, but nearly collapsed when the movement tore through his already burning side. "Don't do this, Imparo. ...Please."

"Shut up."

Link took another cautious step deeper into the grass, biting down on his lip to keep himself from screaming in pain. Behind him he heard a strange noise, as if something heavy had been hit against something solid. He had barely enough time to register the noise in his weakened state when Imparo suddenly collapsed on top of him, pulling him to the ground with him.

For a moment white took over Link's vision as he felt the knife slide even deeper into him when he landed with Imparo on top of him, but then he felt himself grow lighter and was rolled onto his back. The pressure on the knife was relieved, but he could still feel it sticking inside him. The worried face of Beth met his eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked. "I followed you, I hope you don't mind! Well, I didn't really follow you, but I knew you were going here, so I just went here, too, and then I waited! Are you ok?!"

Link's head lolled to the side of its own accord, and he was able to see Imparo unconscious next to him, a large book on the ground near his head. "Did you... knock him out?" Link asked in shock.

"Of course I did! You think I went to school for ten years and didn't learn anything? I know how to knock people out!"

Link began to wonder just what the girls were taught at the girl's worker school, but another wave of pain made him drop his pondering fairly quickly.

"What do I do?" Beth asked, her hands shaking as she tried to grip the knife.

"Leave it in," Link said with a groan. "Get me back... to the base..."

"I don't know where that is!"

Darkness was beginning to pull at the edges of his vision, and he found he was suddenly too tired to talk. He tried to point towards the door, hidden behind the long grass, but Beth seemed to be ignoring him.

"Don't worry, Ed, I'll think of something! Maybe we can find a doctor!"

A surge of adrenaline from hearing those words forced him awake again. "No! Can't go to the city... the base..."

"But I thought there was no one there right now!" Beth protested.

Link paused; she was right. Swallowing thickly he began to sit up. Beth quickly moved to support him. "A farm."

"What?"

"Find something, a farm, anything, outside the city, somewhere that's slow to get the city's news."

"Ok..." Beth said uncertainly, glancing around her. "I don't know where the farms are."

"Imparo... knows the territory..."

"But he tried to kill you!"

"Tie him up... and get him to help..."

"But..." Her eyes widened when Link gave a low groan. "But don't worry, I'll take care of everything! Hang on!"

Beth moved him, trying to help him stand, and the pain that that brought him forced the darkness back. He slipped into its coolness, relieved to finally be free from the pain. Then he was aware of absolutely nothing.

* * *

Link awoke to the sound of shouting. It was Beth's voice, and she sounded furious.

"I don't care who you think he is! His name is Eddo, not Link, and he's not a hero of anything! So stop saying all that nonsense!"

Peeling one eye open, as he was far too tired to make the effort to open both at the moment, he gazed around his surroundings. He was alone in a comfortable looking room. Sunlight was streaming in through a window above his head, shining across a clean wooden floor and walls that were papered a light cream color. The bed he was on smelt of straw, and as he shifted slightly under the thick woolen blankets he could hear the dried grass rustling underneath him. He also felt his side erupt in pain. Lifting the blankets slightly he found himself to be shirtless, and his entire torso was wrapped tightly with a bandage. A dark red stain against the white wrappings marked where the knife had been, but as for the weapon itself it appeared to be gone.

A door across from him suddenly opened, and a tall woman with blonde hair and dark, almost black, eyes stepped inside carrying a tray of bread and some sort of white substance in a glass. She wore a long dress, which bulged slightly near her stomach area; because of the fact that the rest of her looked fairly skinny, Link guessed she was pregnant.

"Glad to see you finally awake," the woman said as she stepped inside, a warm smile on her face.

"Where-" Link started to say, but a sudden fit of coughing interrupted him.

"Easy there, you've just come back from death's door. Here, drink this."

Link let the woman help him sit up and lean against the bed's headboard, and then he took the drink he was offered and sniffed at it carefully. "What is this?"

The woman laughed lightly. "Haven't you ever had milk before? Goodness me, you city folk..."

Link wasn't quite sure what milk was, but after taking a careful sip he found he rather liked it; it tasted incredibly familiar, too, though he couldn't remember ever having anything like it at school. After downing the entire glass he returned it to her with a thanks.

The woman placed the tray on a small table near his bed. "See if you can eat through that bread and I'll get you another glass."

"Where's Beth?" Link asked.

"You mean the little girl that dragged you here? She's fine. I'll let her know you're awake."

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "Abril."

"Thanks for helping us, Abril."

Abril stepped closer, the empty glass clutched tightly in her hands. "You're rebels, aren't you? Oh don't worry!" Abril quickly said when she saw the alarm in Link's eyes. "You're safe here. You'll find you have a lot of supporters outside the city, where the Gerudo presence isn't quite as strong."

Link didn't answer, but Abril smiled at him anyway and then disappeared outside of the room. He could guess the immediate moment that the woman told Beth about him being awake, as suddenly a loud, excited squeal reached his ears from behind the door. Then there was a sound of feet pounding up a flight of stairs, just before Beth burst inside.

"Eddo! I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried about you!"

Before Link could say anything, he found himself being pulled into a tight hug. "Ow..." he tried to say casually; it took a few more repeats of that word before Beth realized her hug was hurting him.

"Sorry!" the girl squeaked out, releasing him.

"S'ok," Link gasped, clutching at his side. "Where are we Beth?"

"Oh don't worry, Ed! This place is safe! And nice! I've got Imparo tied up in the kitchen, and-"

"You brought Imparo here, too!?"

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Beth asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You said to have him help me find a farm! Plus, I think when I hit him I might've given him a slight concussion. Nothing serious, but I couldn't just leave him there, now could I?"

"Did you... carry us both?"

"No, silly! I had him walk, he could manage it. Mostly."

Link felt a smile grow his face when he pictured the young girl carrying his dead weight and forcing Imparo to march along with her. "That's pretty amazing, actually."

"Really?" Beth asked, her eyes lighting up. "You think I'm amazing? I knew you liked me!"

"Well, I-"

"I knew it! No take backs, Ed!"

Link sighed tiredly and bit into his bread. "Whatever."

Beth giggled and sat down at the foot of his bed. She seemed to be content to just watch him eat, which made him feel a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't like he could just ask her to leave; she had saved his life, after all.

Just outside his window, he heard the sound of something running at a ridiculously fast pace. A strange whinnying met his ears, and the sound forced such a sense of nostalgia into him that he was scrambling onto his knees to look out of the window before he even realized the movement was making his side start to throb with pain again.

"Hey, careful!" Beth chided. "You'll tear your stitches, Ed!"

Link barely heard her, for all his attention was on the animal below him. It was large, and he knew if he was on ground level it would look even larger; it ran on four legs like a dog, but was shaped differently. Dark fur glistened in the sunlight, and a long mane and tail flowed behind it as it ran. He watched as it joined more of these creatures, all different colors and all prancing about the field of grass happily. Link turned his attention to the field itself, noticing the few trees scattered about here and there, casting cool shadows with their deep green leaves.

"Aren't they neat?" Beth asked as she joined him at the window.

"What are they?" Link asked breathlessly.

"Hmm... Abril told me... I think she said they were horses. I think that's where the milk comes from, too, but I'm not sure."

Link stared at the horses, flashes of memories rushing through his mind.

"No, wait..." Beth continued on. "That was something else. Something that ends with an 'ow' kind of sound. Cow maybe?" Beth nodded to herself. "I think that's it!" She frowned when Ed didn't say how amazing she was for remembering that piece of information. "Hey, are you ok?"

"I think..." Link began, finally turning to look about the room. Not just any room; his room. "I think I was born here."

* * *

Link sat on the ground, underneath a large willow tree. He had managed to find a shirt, which was made of some sort of incredibly itchy wool, to cover his bandaged torso and a long jacket that reached his knees when he stood and was now draped around him, to keep the chill of the late summer winds away from him.

The horses raced each other behind him, he could feel the vibrations of their hooves hitting the ground nearby, and he could hear their soft whinnies as they teased one another. He let the sounds be absorbed by his subconscious, however, to be enjoyed later. For now all he wanted to concentrate on was the small gravestone in front of him. It was unmarked, but he didn't need to see her name on there to know it was hers. His mother's final resting place. He gazed up at the branches swaying above him. "You always did like this tree," he commented quietly.

Abril soon joined him, the extra glass of milk she had promised him in her hands. "You shouldn't be walking around out here." She paused. "You're him, aren't you. Eddo."

Link nodded silently.

Abril sighed and sat down next to him, handing him the glass. "I'm sorry, hun."

"Are you... related to her?" Link asked curiously.

Abril shook her head. "We were friends. When she got sick she called me out here, to look after things until you returned to take over the farm for us."

Link blinked in surprise. He hadn't realized his mother would want him to take over once he graduated. With a sigh he glanced over at Abril; she was sitting comfortably, her hands resting on her stomach. "Where's the father?"

"Who knows," the woman said with a huff. "Off galavanting around with who knows who, probably."

Link looked back at the stone. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I chose to marry the loser. And then he chose to dump me. We both made lousy choices."

Link chuckled at that, wincing when his side protested the action.

"I suppose you'll want it back now, right?" Abril asked nervously.

Link looked at her with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"The farm. That's why you were heading here, right?"

Link quickly shook his head, glad to see the relief that the simple movement put in the woman's face. "I can't right now. And you've done such a great job with it, I wouldn't mind if you kept it in your family forever."

"Really?" the woman asked, tears prickling at her eyes.

"If you like."

"I would love that. Farms last forever, people always need to eat, and the Gerudo need their horses for their ceremonies; I need a safe place for my daughter to come back to... after she graduates from school."

"How do you know it's a girl?"

Abril slapped him playfully on the arm. "Don't question a mother's intuition! ...And thank you. If you were a girl I'd name her after you. That would make my job easier anyway, I've known about her for two months and I still haven't figured anything out."

Grinning, Link stood up. "I have to get back. I need to check on my friends. They should be... back by now."

Abril quickly stood as well. "You might want to talk to that Imparo fellow first. He's been hinting at some scary things."

"What do you mean?"

Abril gestured back to the large farm house. "Just... talk to him first."

Feeling alarmed, Link quickly made his way towards the kitchen. He leaped up the porch steps, ignoring the uncomfortable tugging on his stitches and nearly stepping on the pots of Hibiscus flowers that were placed haphazardly along the porch in his haste to get inside. As soon as he entered he found Imparo tied to one of the wicker chairs, glaring at Link with a furious expression.

Link sat across from him, separated only by a short distance and a light wooden table. "Our hostess says you've been saying some disturbing things," Link began.

Imparo snorted and rolled his eyes. "You people are such idiots for not realizing what's going on here. For what's already happened, actually."

Link felt his alarm grow; had something happened to Zelda and the others during their attack? "Tell me what you know."

Imparo looked thoughtful for a moment before he finally shrugged. "Fine. Might as well, you're all going to die soon anyway."

Link finally understood what Abril meant.

"I didn't realize it myself until I was arrested back at the scholar's school, but then they opened my eyes to the truth."

"What truth?" Link persisted when Imparo fell silent.

"The rebellion... isn't really a rebellion."

"What?"

Imparo burst into laughter. "We've all been working for Ganondorf without even realizing it!" Imparo leaned forward, as far as his bonds would allow him. "Don't you see? Ganondorf knew the Hylians would start a rebellion eventually, and so he made sure that when they did, he had some of his spies in key positions within the rebellion. They could direct General Zelda's control, let her think she was the leader when really it was someone else the entire time! Sure Ganondorf could've just killed everyone in the rebellion, but then another would just start somewhere else, and he might not have as much control over that one."

Finally it all clicked into place for Link. Arlene's suggestion that the tunnels meant something more, their sudden mistrust of Impal. Impal had been the one to warn them not to go into the underground bunker until he was with them, and had acted relieved when they said they hadn't found anything, and the Gerudo weren't just finding old tunnels the rebellion abandoned; they had known about them the entire time, and had started using them the moment the "rebellion" left, just to keep in close proximity of their spies. The only question remaining was: just how many members of the rebellion had been secretly working for Ganondorf?

He felt a sudden sense of betrayal. Zelda had figured all this out the moment she set foot into the old tunnels, and Arlene as soon as she had heard him tell her about them, but neither had bothered to explain it to him.

_"You'll ruin the game!"_ Arlene's voice drifted through his memories.

Ruin the game... with a jolt Link realized Impal was one of the few to have known about him being the Hero of Time's reincarnation. The man had betrayed them all. Which meant... Link stood abruptly, making his way towards the door.

Imparo laughed at him again. "Worried about the attack on Ganondorf's prison? Don't be! It's already failed! Just like all of your previous attacks! You think Ganondorf would let you blow up buildings with Gerudo inside?! Impal warned them all ahead of time; you all destroyed empty houses! And now, they're all dead, and the idea of rebelling will be squashed from every single surviving Hylian!"

So, hardly any Gerudo's had been killed in Impa's attacks. Just a few hours ago Link would feel relieved, but instead all he could think of was the growing anger inside of him. Zelda had been trying to free her people for so many years, and for it all to end up as one big elaborate ruse... he recalled Ganondorf's smug expression in the news, that expression that told everyone he thought he had finally won. He didn't think that he had won, he _knew_. He knew, because there had never been a threat of losing. He finally understood that look of pure hurt he had seen on Zelda's face earlier.

"Wait... Impal knew about Zelda, so why-"

"Oh don't be stupid," Imparo snapped. "Ganondorf's not an idiot. There was no point in bringing her in until after he found you. If he showed his hand too early you could easily just have gotten away." Imparo studied him, as if expecting him to suddenly leap from the room and disappear forever.

Link, however, had other plans.

"Eddo?" Abril greeted him cautiously as he stormed past her across the field. "What's going on?"

"I have to get back to the city. I need to find my friend."

Abril nodded. "Take a horse. It'll get you there faster."

Link was grateful that she wasn't trying to dissuade him and, turning slightly, headed towards the closest horse.

"Eddo!" Beth ran up to him. "You can't leave! You need to rest!"

"Beth, there's something very important I have to-"

"I know! I know you're important to Ganondorf, and that's why you can't go! He'll kill you!"

Link paused, considering this. If he raced into the city like he was planning, then Beth was probably right.

"We need to talk to Arly! She'll know what to do!"

Arly. Link felt a surge of panic. Ganondorf loved to torment the woman, and him catching Zelda would be just the thing he would want to tell her about. An idea began to form in his mind. Ganondorf wouldn't be at his palace, he would be visiting Arly... which meant the palace would have less guards than usual, since they would all be busy escorting their king.

Beth looked at him nervously when a grin began to form on his face. "What?" she asked hesitantly.

"Beth, I could kiss you right now!" Link hollered as he ran back to the house.

Beth's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked excitedly. "Hey... wait! Wait for me!"

Link didn't wait, however. He only had a short amount of time to carry out his plan, and he couldn't waste any of it. It was time for him to show the largest amount of stupid courage he had ever had to use.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	18. Chapter 17: The End of the Rebellion

**Guest2: Thanks so much for reviewing, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!  
Also, in answer to your question: Is it really? What an interesting and totally unintended coincidence ;-) **

**Anyways, we go back in time a bit here because I wanted to show the attack from Zelda's point of view, seeing as how Link missed the whole thing... Onwards with the chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 17

The End of the Rebellion

Zelda left the register, trusting Arlene to keep Link safe and out of the way as she carried out her plans. Slipping into the city's shadows, Zelda swiftly made her way back to her base, repeating her plan in her head as she went. It would act as the ultimate test for Impal, and she prayed to whatever god or goddess that might still be listening to her that he passed. Deep down she knew he wouldn't, and that hurt; not as much as her seeing him actually betray her when the time came would hurt, but the thought itself still hurt enough that the more she let herself think about it the more difficulty she had with breathing.

Pushing it out of her mind for the moment, she quickly climbed down into the safety of her base. Or, what she used to think of as safety. She found herself glancing at the walls every so often, wondering if there was a Gerudo just behind them, waiting to hear from a spy. Zelda had no idea how many of her people were actually working for Ganondorf, but she suspected it was more than a handful, at least.

"Impal," Zelda called out as soon as she stormed into their planning room.

The older man was there, and as Zelda gazed into his bright red eyes she had to remind herself that he was now the enemy. "We're going to attack the prison."

Impal hesitated. "Alright then, let's get a plan together..."

"I already have one," Zelda replied snippily. "Just get everyone together.

Again, Impal hesitated.

_"What's the matter, Impal?"_ Zelda thought to herself. _"Want some time to warn your little friends?"_

Out loud, she pushed him to do as she had ordered.

"Can I hear your plan first?"

Zelda sighed. "Fine. Ganondorf is expecting Link to hand himself in, so he won't have much security around the prison; not as much as he usually has, anyway. What he won't be expecting is a full frontal attack on his backyard."

Impal nodded slowly, and Zelda knew, with another pang of regret, that he really was betraying her. Her plan was so obviously flawed; of course Ganondorf would be expecting an attack. The Hero of Time would never just hand himself over to be killed without a fight. But here was Impal, agreeing with her mistake.

"I like it. It's about time we tried to free our people."

Zelda felt like slapping him.

"I'll get everyone ready," Impal said, quickly moving to the door. "Where's Link?"

"He's not coming," Zelda said, pretending to study a map on the table but keeping a close eye on his reaction. Once again, what he did felt like a knife stabbing through the Hylian princess' heart.

"So we're leaving behind our best warrior?"

Zelda snorted. "I wouldn't call him that. He's a bit useless, actually. Besides, Ganondorf can't get his hands on that man. If he does we lose everything we've been working for."

"But he won't learn how to fight if you never let him."

"I'm not bringing him!" Zelda snapped. "Now go and prepare the others."

Impal hesitated at the door, more than likely trying to come up with a way to convince her to bring Link along. Finally he turned and left. Zelda waited a brief moment and then left as well, seeking out the few people she knew she could trust. Of the ones she had recruited personally, five remained; if she couldn't trust them she wouldn't be able to trust even herself. So she sought them out, and then gave them their mission.

"Remember, yours is a mission of stealth. Find the Sword, and then get out. Do not let anyone see you."

"Yes, ma'am," they all said, filled with grim determination.

"Good. Now go."

Zelda left her men to find Impal again. She couldn't let him know she was on to him just yet. She caught sight of him just as he was walking away from some sort of meeting with Imparo. Zelda narrowed her eyes but then planted a smile on her face before approaching Impal. "I take it you want him to stay behind?"

Impal shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm still not sure we can trust him."

Zelda shrugged as well. "It's your call." She couldn't see a reason why he would want Imparo to stay behind; it wasn't like Link was going to be coming back here any time soon, though she supposed there was no way for Impal to know that. "Now let's get going."

So they left. Every single rebel. Zelda and Impal led the way along the rooftops, straight towards Ganondorf's palace. Glancing in back of her, Zelda again wondered just how many of them were against her. Pushing that worry to the back of her mind as well, Zelda continued on.

The palace grounds were surrounded by a thick stone wall that the rebels were able to easily scale. There was no sign of any guards, save for a few that they easily dealt with. Zelda knew this was a trap, it was obvious that it was, but she continued to press on towards the prison. She glanced to her side and caught sight of the palace itself. It was covered by a thick web of some sort of magical shield. She knew there would be no way for her men to break through that and find the sword until they had distracted Ganondorf enough.

The only way to do that was start freeing all his prisoners and make him think his enemy was right at his doorstep. Zelda and Arlene had discussed a plan such as this many times before, but they had decided it was too risky. This was before they had known about Link and the fact about who he was; now the risk was all too worth it.

_"All you have to do is get the sword to him, he can take care of the rest," Arlene said in hushed tones._

_Zelda glanced towards where Link and his... friend... Beth, were sitting, examining one of Arlene's books. "You put a lot of faith in him."_

_"And so should you. Take his book, Zelda, and read it. You'll understand if you actually read it."_

_Zelda glared as Arlene tried to shove Link's book into her hands. "I don't have time to read a story book. Now... are you... sure about this plan?"_

_Arlene raised an eyebrow. "You actually want me to tell you whether to go through with this? This is your decision, Zelda. It's not an easy one."_

_With a sigh, Zelda glanced down at the book in her hands. "The Hero of Time... for most of my life I thought he was just a myth, made up to give hope to my family."_

_"And now?"_

_Zelda looked into Arlene's eyes. "Now I'm going to do what my ancestors have done before me. I'm going to put my faith in him, because there's really no other choice. Because you're right, Sage, this is the only way. He's the only one who can wield the Sword, and so he's the only one who can finish what I've started."_

_Link suddenly interrupted their conversation for at least the twentieth time. "Can I please join you guys?" he asked, a slight whine in his voice._

_"No!" Both Zelda and Arlene snapped back at him impatiently._

_Arlene turned back to Zelda. "Be certain of this. Because if he fails, everything will be lost."_

_"We can't even trust my own people anymore. Everything's already lost, Arlene."_

The rebellion flew across the grounds, their feet barely making a sound against the well-trimmed grass and their clothes camouflaging them in the growing darkness.

Then they reached the prison, which was clearly marked by a large sign over the doors. It, too, was oddly devoid of any guards patrolling outside of it. Zelda realized they were all probably waiting inside. Next to her she saw Impal shift impatiently. He still hadn't gotten the chance to let anyone know Link wasn't with them, she hadn't given it to him and she wasn't about to now. She reached for the doors, letting herself a brief moment's pause. The rebellion would fall here. But, that was, in an ironic sort of way, actually a good thing. Anyone who had been working for Ganondorf would not be able to keep track of where Link was without her to keep him around. The few who were loyal to her would be arrested, but, if she and Arlene were right about Link, it wouldn't be too long of an imprisonment. She glanced back to the palace; she couldn't see her special strike team anywhere, but then again she wouldn't have picked them if she had been able to.

"Prepare to start moving people out of here," Zelda whispered.

Then she pushed open the doors. The prison looked like a giant barn, with rows of large cages stacked upon one another. As Zelda stepped inside, she realized that the prison was more empty than she had thought it would be. The cages were empty, not a single prisoner could be seen, and there were no Gerudo anywhere. With a frown, she realized that this must not be the actual prison. Looking at her feet she noticed the scuff marks of horses' hooves on the hard floor; no, this was definitely not the real prison. It had been set up for them to think so, but from the look of things it had been done in a hurry.

"Maybe the real prison is somewhere inside the palace?" Impal suggested, and Zelda hated him for that suggestion. He just couldn't resist sharing what he knew.

Still, they hadn't checked the very back, and so her team carefully went deeper into the building. Just as the last rebel stepped inside, the doors closed behind them. Zelda whirled around, her gun pointed over the heads of her comrades. From above them, hundreds of Gerudo rappelled down to the floor by ropes tied to the ceiling. Bullets rained down on them, barely missing them all by mere centimeters. They weren't looking to kill them, as they thought Link was there, and Ganondorf probably wanted to kill the kid himself. Luckily for Zelda, she had no problem taking advantage of this.

The rebellion general fired back, and, she noticed, so did quite a few of the others. At least half, however, were placing their weapons down and surrendering. Including Impal.

_"So many..."_ Zelda thought, and her heart began to ache. Forcing the feeling away, she managed to hit one of the Gerudo before several of her own people fell around her.

"Cease your fire!" a woman's voice rang out.

Zelda turned to find the source, her gun already aimed in that direction, and spotted a Gerudo in thick armor, a large rifle pointed directly at her. "Lower your weapons! All of you!" After a pause the woman fired a warning shot towards Zelda, grazing her shoulder. "Lower your weapons, or all of you will be killed!"

Impal and his fellow spies were already separating themselves from Zelda's group, and she noticed the confused expressions on her comrades' faces.

"Lower your weapons," Zelda called out.

They now turned their shocked expressions onto Zelda. She merely repeated the order, lowering her own gun to show them she wasn't trying to trick anyone and then clutched at her shoulder with her now free hand. It wasn't a serious wound, but it still stung. The others quickly followed Zelda and dropped their own guns, and soon the Gerudo were charging forward, locking Zelda and her people's hands behind their backs with thick handcuffs.

"Which one is it?" the Gerudo with the rifle asked Impal.

Impal shook his head. "He's not here," he replied bitterly.

"What?" the Gerudo hissed. "Never mind then, which one is the leader?"

Zelda didn't wait for Impal to point her out, as if she were trying to hide from them all. "I am," she called out, fixing her glare on the Gerudo and ignoring Impal completely.

The Gerudo stepped closer to Zelda. "Take her to Ganondorf, he'll want to have a little chat. As for the others, put them in some cells."

Zelda was shoved forward, back towards the doors. The rest of her people were soon following her, all surrounded by the Gerudo and traitorous Hylians. As soon as they were outside, a surge of triumph flooded through her. The magic shield around the palace was gone. Her team should be inside by now, searching for the Sword.

"What's that smile for?" a Gerudo asked her gruffly.

Zelda merely grinned back at the woman.

Narrowing her eyes, the Gerudo gave Zelda another shove forward. They stepped inside the large, golden colored building, and harsh lighting instantly assailed their eyes, nearly blinding Zelda. The bright lights swung everywhere from high up ceilings, illuminating the elaborately decorated hallway they were in. Several portraits of Ganondorf hung on the walls, and rows of flowers lined any area on the floor not covered with a carpet. Zelda saw her people being led down the hallway, while she herself was led in another direction, towards a long flight of stairs.

"I guess this is Ganondorf's way of keeping you people in shape, huh?" Zelda commented as they began to climb up the stairs. "No elevators."

"Quiet," one of her guards snapped back.

"I'm just saying; it wouldn't kill Ganondorf to respect his own people a little bit and let them have an elevator when they want to visit him."

"Your base didn't have an elevator," the Gerudo responded.

"True, true, but that's just because I was too busy not having portraits of myself painted and was trying to kill you instead."

The rest of the walk was done in silence, despite Zelda's many attempts to annoy her escorting Gerudo. Soon they were passing through a set of large, ornate doors. Zelda observed, with a raised eyebrow, that the doors even had small jewels stuck onto them. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the vast amounts of decor, she turned her attention to the room she was now in.

It was a throne room; a throne room with no windows, the same blindingly bright lights that every other room had, and a long carpet leading up to a chair that was even more decorated than the doors. Sitting on the chair was Ganondorf himself, slumped against the armrest with his chin resting on the palm of one of his hands. He stared at Zelda with an almost bored expression, but gestured for the Gerudo to approach.

As soon as Zelda was closer, he reached out and placed his hand on top of Zelda's head. He stared at the back of his hand for a while, giving a growl when nothing happened.

"Expecting someone else?" Zelda asked smugly.

"I thought that you of all people, the general of the rebellion, would be her. Obviously not. Impal must have lied to me."

Zelda shrugged. "He tends to lie a lot. It's a habit I was trying to break him out of before you interrupted me."

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows, a glimmer of amusement in his dark red eyes. "But surely you know where she is. Tell me where Zelda is!"

"Never heard of her."

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. "But you do know where Link is. Tell me, and I might just let your men live." Before Zelda could reply, Ganondorf burst into laughter. "Oh you think I'm talking about the ones we caught with you? No, my dear general, I mean... those men."

Zelda turned to where Ganondorf was pointing; five men, her strike team, were pushed into the room by more Gerudo. Her heart sank. They hadn't found the Sword. Link would be on his own, with no way to get to them.

Ganondorf laughed again. "I found them trying to sneak around. You know, I think they were trying to steal some of my treasure."

"Really," Zelda said carefully, screaming at her brain to come up with an idea, anything that would get someone still loyal to her out of this situation, if only to warn Arlene that the plan had failed. "Can't imagine what. A door, maybe? One of those things would be enough to feed everyone in the Hylian district for over a year."

Ganondorf shrugged casually. "We don't get to pick how we're born. It's not my fault they were born as such a weak and pathetic race."

Zelda's face flushed bright red. "You say we're weak, but last I checked you still haven't managed to find the people you want to find. You have this whole army on your side, but you can't even locate two Hylians? I call _that_ pathetic."

Ganondorf gave a sigh, as if he was bored, and then nodded to the Gerudo behind Zelda. Zelda turned again, just in time to see one of her men being shot in the head.

"Stop it!" Zelda shouted at Ganondorf.

"Tell me what I want to know," Ganondorf countered, his bored tone never leaving him. "Tell me where the Hero of Time is, or you'll just have to watch the rest of these lowlifes get killed."

Zelda's breath caught in her throat. "...I won't tell you anything."

This time when Ganondorf nodded, she merely closed her eyes and tried to shut out the sound of a pistol being fired.

* * *

Ganondorf gave a thoughtful hum as he slumped back into his chair. "Well now we're out of people," he commented with a bored voice.

Zelda glared at him, refusing to let the tears pressing at her eyes to escape her. Not in front of her enemy.

"Oh well, maybe I'll gather up some more later. We did catch a bunch, right?" Ganondorf glanced at one of his guards and smiled when she nodded. "Great! That'll be something we can do after dinner tomorrow! I didn't have anything planned for then anyway."

"I won't tell you anything, Ganondorf," Zelda repeated, her hands shaking with pure rage.

"Oh!" Ganondorf suddenly leaped to his feet, completely ignoring the woman. "I know what we can do next! Let's go visit our old friend Arlene! I bet she'll want to hear about this! Come on!" Ganondorf brushed past Zelda and hopped over the dead bodies, pausing only when he was halfway through the doors. "Oh and put her in a cell or something. I don't want her presence messing up my throne room for too long. And someone find Hadiya!"

Zelda had no idea who this Hadiya person was, but she had a feeling she wouldn't like her anyway. As she was shoved by a guard towards the door, she spotted Impal lurking in a corner of the room.

"I don't understand why he didn't sense the Triforce in you," Impal growled, holding up a hand to stop the guards.

"You don't understand much of anything, Impal," Zelda replied. "You always were an idiot."

"I know you used to have it. You showed it to me once!"

Zelda smirked at him. "Poor guy," she said to one of the Gerudo next to her. "Men are always so clueless, aren't they?"

She caught the guard's lips twitch into a smile before it instantly vanished and the woman's face returned to its stony expression.

"You're just angry that I betrayed you. You take everything so personally, Zelda."

Zelda really wanted to strangle the man in front of her, but she knew she wouldn't make it very far before the guards managed to stop her. "I'm not mad about you for betraying _me_, Impal. I'm mad that you _gave up_. You gave up on Hyrule and everything we had worked for. You're one of the few surviving members of the Sheikah race... what would your ancestors think of you now?"

Zelda didn't wait for him to answer. Instead she shoved past him, stepping out of the throne room herself and not even waiting for the guards to catch up. She had seen the way to the prison; she didn't need a Gerudo to help her find her way.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you all have a great weekend!**


	19. Chapter 18: The Master Sword

**KaijuKnight: First, very cool name! Secondly, thanks so much for reviewing! I'm so glad you're liking the story, and I really appreciate you taking the time to say so! :-) I'm excited you like the characters, it's always my greatest fear that people won't like the people I write, lol. Anyway, thanks again!**

**And now, without further ado, behold the next chapter!**

**Further ado: By the way, I have a bit of an announcement at the end of the chapter; next week I need to change the updating schedule a bit, but I'll explain that after the chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Chapter 18

The Master Sword

Imparo stared at Link in shock when he cut him free of his bonds. "What are you doing?"

Link helped Imparo from the ranch's wicker chair and onto his feet. "Helping you, buddy."

"...Why?"

"Because, I want a favor in return."

Imparo snorted in amusement. "I really don't think-"

"Look, Niko, just trust me, ok? I'm not going to ask you to do something that goes against your beliefs."

"My name isn't Niko."

"I know, but I think it sort of suits you, don't you? Anyway, I want you to take me straight to Ganondorf's palace, post haste!"

Imparo gaped at him as Link started to move back towards the door. "You want... what?"

"You heard me, Niko. Now come on, chop chop! Time is wasting!" Link suddenly let out a little laugh, though Imparo couldn't tell what he found so amusing. Deciding that the man had lost a little _too_ much blood, the ex-rebel gave a shrug before following Link out of the house. If Link was so delirious that he actually wanted to be handed over to Ganondorf, who was he to stop him? The minute he stepped outside, his ears were assailed with the annoying voice of Beth.

"Are you insane?!" the girl shouted as she watched Link start to saddle up two horses. "If this is the idea you got from talking to me I'm not ever talking to you again! ...Ever!"

Link smiled at Beth reassuringly. "Beth, don't worry, this isn't your fault. Unless it all works out, then I'll let you take full credit for it!"

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmph."

Abril joined Beth with a similar annoyed expression as the two men mounted their horses and started to head back towards the city. "Eddo, I don't know what you're up to, but you better take care of yourself," the older woman shouted after them. "Your mother didn't go to so much trouble to protect you for you to just throw your life away on a whim!"

"Don't worry, Abril!" Link called back. "But when I get back I expect a share of your profits!"

Now it was Abril's turn to cross her arms. "This may have been your mother's farm, but you can forget _that_, kid!"

Imparo shot another confused look at Link when he laughed again. "You do realize he's just going to kill you once he sees you, right?"

Link shrugged. "Maybe."

Imparo felt a small bit of frustration beginning to bubble up inside him. "What do you mean maybe!? Of course that's what he's going to do!"

Link looked over at him innocently. "You're not worried about me, are you, Niko?"

"Stop calling me that! And no, I'm just trying to figure out just how crazy you are."

"Oh. Quite a bit, I imagine."

Imparo sighed at him. "Whatever. It's not my problem."

"Ok."

"Seriously though, you must have a plan!"

"It's getting there."

"...You left without having a complete plan!? Ugh, whatever."

The horses covered the terrain rather quickly, just as Abril had claimed, and by early afternoon they were leaving behind the long meadows and entering the smog of the city. The horses began to snort nervously around all the noise and lights, so Link and Imparo dismounted and then sent them back to the ranch.

"Right this way, Link," Imparo said, and with a dramatic flourish gestured towards the palace.

Link grinned at him and marched purposefully towards the large wall. There was a set of gates being guarded by a pair of Gerudo, but they seemed to recognize Imparo and they quickly let them inside. All the while Link's mind was rushing with ideas and memories that he knew weren't really his. Ever since he had realized Zelda was in danger, it was like a part of him that had been lying dormant this entire time was suddenly awake and in control. It had felt odd at first, but with it came a renewed sense of urgency. Zelda was in trouble, and every fiber of his being was now screaming at him to fix that.

As soon as Imparo stepped into the brightly lit hallway, he hollered for one of the guards. "Tell Lord Ganondorf I have the Hero of Time with me!"

"He's not here," the guard replied, studying Link with an appraising look. She turned her attention back to Imparo when all Link did was wave at her. "He left last night and hasn't returned yet."

"Oh." Imparo glared at Link, wondering if he had known Ganondorf wouldn't be here. The other man was refusing to let any emotion cross his face, however, and Imparo was left feeling just as frustrated and confused as before. "Then... put him in a cell until he gets back."

"Fine."

Link was suddenly grabbed in a vice-like grip by the Gerudo. Imparo quickly disappeared from sight as Link was pulled down the hallway. "You guys sure do like bright lights, huh? Is that a desert kind of thing?"

The Gerudo ignored him. As they wandered down several flights of stairs, and passed several tightly shut doors, Link thought he heard a humming sound. His ears twitched as he tried to hear it better. "Do you hear that?"

The Gerudo paused, listening as well. "What?" she finally asked suspiciously.

"That... hum..." An image of a sword flashed past his vision. "Hey, I think we should go in there," Link said suddenly, pointing towards one of the doors. This one looked heavier than the others they had passed, and had several padlocks around its handle.

The Gerudo snorted. "Yeah right. Keep moving, _Hero_."

Link, however, found he couldn't keep moving. Something, most likely that strange yet oddly familiar humming sound, was keeping him rooted to the spot.

"Hey! Move!" the Gerudo shouted at him, shoving at him with her gun.

Link reacted faster than even he thought he was capable of. Stepping back, he gripped at the gun and slammed his other hand into the woman's arm. She screamed as an uncomfortable snapping sound echoed through the hall. Not giving the woman much time to suffer with her broken arm, Link quickly used the but of his newly acquired rifle to knock her unconscious.

"I'd like to see Impal beat that one," Link commented to himself as he aimed the gun at the door. He emptied the entire clip into the locks, but they weren't even scratched. Frowning, Link stepped closer to the door and shook one of the locks, trying to pry it free from the door. "Lousy... magic..." Link grumbled to himself when he felt a strange tingling sensation in his fingertips. Quickly releasing the lock, he searched the Gerudo for a set of keys. No luck there, though he hadn't been expecting any.

A part of him reminded himself that he should look for Zelda, but the hum grew more insistent, as if it could sense his thoughts and was afraid he would forget about it. Leaning against the door, he rested his head against the thick wood and let the hum fill his senses. "I'm right here," he whispered, though who he was trying to talk to he really had no idea.

The sound of someone sighing disgustedly at him forced him to turn around. "Hadi!" he greeted happily, grinning when he saw the young Gerudo woman standing in front of him, her arms crossed and an upset expression in her eyes as she stared at the fallen guard.

"Why they only give such an important prisoner one guard, I do not know," she muttered to herself before looking away from the unconscious Gerudo. "You need to leave, Link. Lord Ganondorf is here, and will be heading this way to see you soon."

"Do you have the keys to this room?" Link asked, feeling like he had to almost shout to be heard over the humming noise.

"Keep your voice down! And what is it you want in there? That is Lord Ganondorf's treasure room."

"I think there's something important in there," Link insisted. "Please?"

Hadiya groaned and glanced in back of her before quickly stepping forward and retrieving a large ring of keys from under her cloak. "Please _is_ the magic word," she grumbled. The locks sparked and flared, protesting being unlocked, but then they fell to the ground and the doors swung open.

Link swiftly stepped inside, followed closely by his friend.

"See?" Hadiya said with irritation, gesturing around at the piles of jewels and cabinets of expensive looking pottery and dishes. "Nothing important in here."

Link could hardly hear her over the hum, however, and he stepped deeper into the room, wading through the inches deep layer of gold coins that covered the floor and following the sound. He stopped in front of one of the larger cabinets; through the glass panels he could see only more dishes, but the hum was near deafening now, and so he quickly reached out and pulled the panels back.

Hadiya gasped in surprise, and Link, even though somewhere in him he had known what to expect, found himself staring in shock as well. A large sword, glittering so brightly it put all the jewels surrounding it to shame, lay before him.

"The Master Sword," Hadiya whispered. "I had no idea it was here this whole time."

Link reached out, feeling as if the sword was pulling him towards it. He heard Hadiya say something, but he was too preoccupied to hear what it was. His fingers brushed against it, and he nearly had it in his grasp when the weapon suddenly flew from the shelf, nearly impaling him as it swung swiftly through the air, landing with a clatter at the other end of the room. Turning he found that Hadiya had disappeared, and standing with one foot on the hilt of the sword was Ganondorf.

"Well, well, what have we here?" the large Gerudo asked as he finally took his foot off of the sword and moved deeper into the room. "I have no idea how you managed to break through my locks, but it doesn't really matter." Ganondorf burst into a harsh, humorless laugh. "At last! At last I have you, Link, Hero of Time! Now, prepare to die!"

Electricity filled the air and crackled around Link as Ganondorf suddenly flung his hand into the air, a large ball of magic growing around it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Link said calmly.

Ganondorf glared at him, but didn't stop his magic. "Why not?"

"Because if you kill me I'll just be reborn again. Then you'll have to start this whole mess all over again."

Ganondorf considered this and then shrugged. "I can live with that." He raised his arm, and threw the sphere of dark magic straight towards Link.

Ignoring the tug of his stitches at his side, Link leaped through the air, tucking into himself and rolling the second he landed. The magic slammed into the cabinet, sending splinters and coins flying throughout the room.

Hadiya suddenly stepped back into the room, as if she had never been in it to begin with. "What are you doing!?" she shouted at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf scowled. "What do you want now, Hadiya?"

"We have talked about this! No throwing magic inside!"

"But-"

"No, no but's, you promised me after that last time!"

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "My enemy has broken into my treasury, excuse me if I don't keep such a stupid promise."

Hadiya took a step closer to the larger man, and as Link tried to stand without attracting any attention to himself he noticed the girl was carefully nudging the sword along with her with one of her sandaled feet.

"Hadiya, get back!" Ganondorf shouted at the girl, turning back to face Link. So much for trying not to attract any attention.

Having no choice now, Hadiya quickly retreated away from the sword, and from Link.

The sword was close now, all it would take was a dive towards it. Ganondorf seemed to notice the sword was closer, too, as his eyes flicked to the weapon Link was currently staring at.

"You should not kill him," Hadiya insisted, and Link could tell she was fighting to keep her voice sound neutral.

"Why not?" Ganondorf growled, already powering up another sphere.

"He might know where Zelda is."

Ganondorf paused, and slowly the sphere around his hand began to shrink. "An excellent point, Hadiya."

"Thank you," Hadiya replied, and she actually seemed rather pleased with herself all of the sudden.

"Then again, he won't tell me anyway."

Link tensed when the sphere began to grow again, and the smug expression on Hadiya's face instantly fell. While Link was relieved that, for whatever reason, Ganondorf hadn't discovered Zelda yet, he didn't have time to worry about the woman just yet. He looked back at the sword; he would only get one chance at this, too soon and Ganondorf would easily be able to intercept him. He would have to wait for him to throw his attack first.

Hadiya stepped closer to Ganondorf. "Stop! Father, please!"

Link felt a jolt run through his entire body. He had already suspected this, but actually hearing his friend call his enemy by such a familiar name was still shocking. Disturbingly so.

Ganondorf seemed quite content to ignore Hadiya's pleas, however.

Just as he threw yet another magic ball, Link lunged forward for his sword. The magic struck just behind him, spraying everyone with a harsh pelting of gold chunks as Link slid through the thick layer of coins that still lay on the floor. His hand grasped the hilt, and he felt Hadiya's hand close around his own; they had both decided to try and grab it.

The hum was suddenly back, but it felt more comforting than deafening. It was no longer shouting for his attention, but greeting him, as two old friends might greet each other. The hilt fit into his hand perfectly, and for the first time he felt like this was a weapon he could use. Unlike all the guns and other swords he had used, this one felt... _right_.

"Get away from my daughter!" Ganondorf shouted. He stepped forward, but before Link could even try to stand a bright blue light surrounded him.

It wasn't blinding, but it was intense and blocked his view of Ganondorf and the rest of the room. He could still see Hadiya, in a similar position on the floor as he was, her hand still gripping his tightly.

As soon as the light faded, Link and Hadiya found themselves in a brand new room. Ganondorf was gone, along with his treasure, replaced by a light blue, almost water-like in appearance floor that they were standing on. As Link stood up, the sword still in his grasp, he found that the strange floor they were on was rather small in area, and surrounded by darkness. It was impossible to see even a little beyond the darkness and for all they knew there was nothing else but the small space they were standing on.

"What is this place?" Hadiya asked, looking around.

Link followed her gaze and noticed the designs on the hexagon shaped floor. The symbol of the Triforce was in the center, and surrounding it were six other symbols that almost looked like they were meant to be seals or crests. A flicker of recognition floated through Link, but he couldn't focus on it long enough to recall the memory he wanted.

"I think... it's the Chamber of Sages," he replied.

"And what is that?"

"...I'm not sure."

"Oh."

Link felt as if he should say more, to clarify how he knew what the place was in the first place, but he wasn't even sure of why that was himself. All he knew was that he knew it.

"How do we get out of here?" Hadiya asked finally.

Link frowned. He had been here before, he knew he had, so he must have found a way out... right? The pair split up and began to circle around the narrow platform, searching for a ladder or anything that might help them climb down; though, as Link peered into the thick darkness, he wasn't too certain if he actually wanted to climb down. The darkness seemed to stretch on forever, and there was no indication that there was an end to it anywhere. As he passed one of the strange seals, a bright yellow colored one with three triangles pointing at each other and separated by large circles, the air above the seal began to flicker.

Somewhere in him he knew this wasn't a bad thing, yet he readied his sword anyway. The air flickered again, and a man suddenly appeared in front of him. He looked painfully familiar, and as Link stared at the elderly man with an owlish face and thick white facial hair, a strange name flickered through his mind.

"Ra... Rauru?" Link asked uncertainly, lowering his sword.

Hadiya stood at the other end of the platform, staring at the pair with an uneasy stance.

The old man smiled at Link. "So, you remember me!"

"Not... quite."

"Ah well, no matter," Rauru said warmly, waving his hand through the air. "You will in time, I'm sure."

Hadiya took a step forward. "Why have you brought us here?" she demanded. "I order you to take us back at once! Or we shall miss lunch!"

"Actually, I only meant to bring Link here, but you just would _not_ let go! Such a stubborn grip for someone so young, I must say..."

Hadiya narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"I have many names, but you may call me Rauru."

"Excuse me," Link cut into their conversation. "But why_ have_ you brought us here?"

Rauru glanced down at the sword in Link's hands. "You were not prepared to face Ganondorf. The Master Sword has been trapped within Ganondorf's powers for far too long, it has lost much of the strength it once had."

"So... we need to charge it up first?"

Rauru tilted his head. "In a way."

Hadiya gave a short, frustrated sigh. "And how do we do that? I have no batteries with me."

Rauru raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't take batteries anyway!" He cleared his throat. "You must find the proper sages."

"But..." Link began. "You're a sage. Aren't you?"

"Indeed I am. And I will power the sword for you, but only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"As I said before, _you_ are not prepared to face Ganondorf. You and the Master Sword are connected, and when one is weak the other is. While the Master Sword is easily repaired, it will not be at its full power until you are as well."

"Oh come on!" Link complained. "Don't you dare tell me I have to stay here for seven years! I'm ready to face the guy!"

"You are not!" Rauru snapped, a frown passing over his face. "You have doubts about how far you are willing to go to save Hyrule. To kill? Or not? It should not be something a warrior's mind struggles with! Until you can sort it out, you are in conflict, and while you are in conflict you are not ready."

"I've already worked it out! I'm just going to seal him with the Sword again, just like the Hero of Winds did!"

Rauru took his thumb and forefinger before flicking the latter finger against Link's forehead.

"Ow!"

"And if your first plan doesn't work? You are still in conflict! Don't try to lie to me, I can tell! You need to seek the answers you have been searching for since you discovered your true identity. You must deal with these doubts you have of yourself. Until then I cannot permit you to return to your own time and place."

Hadiya glowered at the man. "And how is he supposed to learn of how the world works while stuffed away in this place?"

Rauru turned with an amused smile on his face to Hadiya. "Never fear, my dear; I'm not going to keep him here." He turned again to Link. "You must travel, through time and space, to rediscover who you are and what your place in the world is."

Link sighed. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"I will send you to where you must go."

"Fine, but wait just one minute for me to-"

Rauru waved his arm through the air and both Link and Hadiya disappeared, leaving him once again alone in the Chamber. He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something only he could hear.

A little girl with green hair, and eyes full of wisdom beyond her years, appeared next to him. "You could've let him finish his sentence," she chided.

Rauru chuckled. "That boy is much more talkative than his original self."

The girl smiled. "I like him."

With a sigh, Rauru gazed past the girl, his eyes focusing on something not in the room.

"Can you see him?"

"Yes."

"What is he doing?"

"Complaining. About _me_."

"Don't sound so surprised, Rauru. You _did_ cut him off."

Rauru shrugged.

"...Where did you send him, anyway?"

A smile tugged at the edges of Rauru's mouth. "To his family."

* * *

**So, next week I'm going to be taking a trip (and if any of you have been stalking my profile page you'll know it's to Mysterium, a convention for the Myst games... that's right, all five of us Myst fans are going to be there! XD), so I probably won't be able to update on the schedule I currently have set up. What I'm planning on doing is updating on Monday, and then again right away on Tuesday, and then I'm afraid that'll be it for next week. The week after that I probably won't update again until Wednesday, and then again on Friday, and then the week after _that_ everything will go back to normal. I hope you guys won't be too disappointed that you'll only be getting two chapters a week for two weeks, I do apologize for that!**

**Anyway, thanks so very much for reading! I think this story is getting the most traffic any of my fics have ever gotten, and I'm just so excited about that! I love each and every one of you guys!  
See you Wednesday!**


	20. Ch 19: A Family By Everything But Blood

**Guys! Prepare yourselves... for the longest author's notes evah!**

**Guest: Thanks so much for reviewing! And yes, lol, Link could stand to toughen up a bit, but not to worry in the next few chapters he'll end up doing just that. As for getting an ancestor to train him, that is an awesome idea, and something I considered doing, but I don't want to get into that just yet (after this chapter I have a better response to your suggestion, so feel free to read that after reading this chapter first!). His main problem, though, is not that he's lacking training, because he did get quite a bit of it from Impal in the rebellion, but that he's just really not all that into fighting right now, so it's really more of a mental thing than physical (but like I said, he toughens up later). And as for your questions... hoboy, ok, prepare yourself for a long, rambling answer as I try to explain what was going through my head while planning Link's background:  
****Link is the reincarnation of the Hero of Time (from Ocarina of Time). In my mind, I saw the Ocarina of Time Link having a family eventually, so the Link from this story is also, in a weird sort of way, related to himself as well. His mother is the original Hero of Time's descendant as well, which is why the name of Link ran in the family (I also thought that since they were close genetically, it made it more likely for the Hero of Time to be reborn within that family... that's my nerdy explanation of reincarnation, lol).  
****Also, this Link is not related to the Hero of Winds or any of his descendants; I suppose I could've had the two families mix after a while, but I was mostly working off of the game Wind Waker, and the King of Red Lions says at one point that the Hero of Winds isn't related to the Hero of Time, so I decided to keep it that way. However, as Arlene said in an earlier chapter, since both families had the Triforce of Courage at one point, the two families are really closely linked in a different way than genetics (and this comes out more in later chapters as well).  
****I really should have explained all this in the actual story, and I do apologize for not doing so, but I just really wanted to avoid doing a big information dump within the chapters, because I feel like the early ones already had a ton of that to begin with! Hopefully this cleared some stuff up for you, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask! As you may have noticed, I like answering questions :-D**

**KaijuKnight: Thank you very much for the review :-) Not to worry, all of your questions will be answered (some of them even in this very chapter! ...actually probably none of them. oops!). The question of what's up with Hadi, however, will take a few more chapters before I even begin to answer, so bare with it!  
****Also, wow! Those are great ideas! ...I have a better response to them after this chapter, so read this chapter first and then check that out ;-)**

**And before I forget: A big thanks to the new followers, and to everyone that's reading! I really should say that more often, but I'm just a tad bit forgetful...  
Now on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 19

A Family By Everything But Blood

"Lousy... good for nothing... sage..." Link continued to grumbled as he cut a path through the thick forest he and Hadiya had landed in. The Master Sword cut easily through thick vines and tree branches alike, but there was still so much of it that after only a few minutes he was already starting to sweat from the effort.

"Why did he send us here?" Hadiya asked breathlessly, following Link closely as he cut a path for them through the foliage. The Gerudo woman had a sword of her own, a long scimitar tucked away under her long cloak, but had insisted that Link clear the way, since it was Hylian tradition for men to do such things and she didn't want to tread upon his people's traditions. Really, Link just suspected she was feeling lazy, but he was far too annoyed at Rauru to care.

"I don't know!" Link complained. "Last time that guy tried to intervene with my job, I ended up waking only to find seven years had passed!"

"That is a very long nap."

"The sad thing is I don't think it was real sleep, because I was still kind of tired when I woke up..."

Finally the plant life began to thin, and when they emerged they found themselves on the edge of a very sharp cliff. It dropped downwards, stopping only at swiftly flowing water in a valley far below them. Link put his sword into a loop in his belt, tucking it away behind his long jacket.

"Look!" Hadiya suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the horizon.

Link pulled his gaze away from how high they were to where she pointed; all that met his eyes was blue. Blue sky meeting more blue. "The ocean!" Link said in amazement.

"I have never seen it," Hadiya said quietly.

"Me neither... Come on!" Link quickly grabbed her hand and, anger at Rauru forgotten for the time, pulled her along the cliff edge towards a bridge. The bridge led across the deep ravine below to another mountain top, where they were then able to race down a narrow path through the rock. They emerged at the bottom of the mountain, right next to a long pier. Exchanging excited grins, and completely oblivious to the small houses scattered around them, they rushed past the wooden stakes of the pier and went straight for the sandy beach next to it.

Hadiya dipped her hands into the water, never once letting her gaze drop from the bright blue horizon. "It is beautiful!"

Link closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the beach and reveling at the salty taste in the air. Seagulls called above him, along with the voice of a little girl that was nearly completely drowned out by the winds.

With a frown, Link opened his eyes and looked up at where the seagulls were. Above him, on a high up tower set on top of the pier, was the source of the little girl's voice. Her small head was peaking over the tower's platform, and a hand darted through the air in a wave.

"Hi down there!" she called down to them, blonde pigtails bobbing in the wind.

"Hi," Link called back uncertainly. Hadiya seemed to be completely deaf to what was going on around her, and so Link left her behind as he walked up to the pier.

"Did you just arrive?" the little girl asked, poking her head out over the ladder that led up to the tower. "I didn't see your boat come in."

"We didn't really have a boat," Link answered. "...It's a long story."

"I like stories!" The little girl instantly started to climb down, and Link felt amazed at the fact that she wasn't scared of him at all. He was used to Hylian children staring with uncertain eyes before darting away with barely a sound. This one, however, was quite chatty as she swung down towards him with practiced ease. She leaped down the last few rungs of ladder, her blue dress decorated with red Hibiscus flowers swinging loosely in the breeze. "Go ahead!"

"Uh..."

"Oh, wait! What's your name, first? Mine's Aryll!"

"Eddo," Link replied, so used to telling this lie he didn't even think twice about it.

Aryll gave a giggle. "That's a funny name. I like it! Too bad I'm never going to have boys when I get married, or I would use that!"

"...How do you know that?"

"Because, silly! I'm going to have all girls, because boys are gross! I'm going to have three, and I'm going to name them Sue, Belle, and Hibiscus Cornelia Rose!"

"That third one is a bit longer than the others," Link commented. He heard Hadiya finally walking towards him, though her gait was slow and relaxed so he imagined she wouldn't be joining their conversation anytime soon.

"I like flowers!"

"Ok."

"So tell me the story, Eddo! How'd you get here without a boat?"

"We flew!" the voice of Hadiya called over to them in answer of the girl's question.

Aryll's dark eyes widened. "You did not!" she said, but her voice hinted she believed them anyway.

"We did," Hadiya said with a nod as she moved to stand next to Link.

"Like the seagulls! And the postman!"

Hadiya nodded again, though with a little less certainty this time.

"What's your name?"

"Hadiya."

Aryll's eyes widened again. "That's an even weirder name! Maybe I'll name one of my daughters after you! What island do you come from?"

"Um..." Link began.

Thankfully Hadiya took over once again. "One very far away. Actually, we got a bit lost; what is the name of this island?"

"This is Outset Island! Oh! You want to see my grandma? She likes visitors! Come on!"

Before they could even think of a response, Aryll gripped them both by their hands and started to pull them along. They passed several houses, all very different looking to what they were used to with straw roofs and plenty of space between all of them. The entire time they walked along the quiet coast, Aryll chattered away brightly.

"And that's Orca and Sturgeon's house over there! And that's Sue-Belle! Hi Sue-Belle! Look! I found flying people!"

Link ignored the little girl, staring in shock instead at the house she had just pointed out. He couldn't see anyone inside it, but was already picturing his friend and his brother somewhere in there.

"What is it?" Hadiya asked.

"Nothing... I wonder if they're related. Maybe family names or something..."

Hadiya gave him an annoyed look that clearly said "Stop being so weird if you're not going to bother explaining yourself."

Link shrugged at her and then let Aryll continue to pull them along.

"And this is my house!" Aryll announced as they approached a house built right next to the ocean. "Grandma, I'm home!" the little girl called out as she pushed the door open with her foot, still refusing to release either Link or Hadiya. Only once they were inside and the door had closed did she let go of them.

Link found himself in a cozy kitchen/bedroom area, with a ladder leading up to a loft above them. Sitting near the fireplace in a comfortable looking chair was an elderly woman.

"Welcome!" the woman greeted them, brushing strands of loose, gray hair out of her dark eyes. "It's not often that we get visitors. Aryll, fetch them some soup!"

"Right!"

Link raised his hands. "That's really not necessary, ma'am, we-"

"Well I never! Such nice manners! Now you really have to stay for dinner! I insist!"

"But-"

"You both look so skinny... Aryll, give them two servings each!"

"Right!"

Link had no idea how the old woman managed it, but he and Hadiya were soon sitting around a small table along with Aryll and her grandmother, each with a steaming bowl of delicious smelling soup in front of them.

"It's too bad Big Brother isn't here!" Aryll said cheerfully. "I bet he'd like to hear about how you flew here!"

Grandmother raised her eyebrows. "Flew? Well there's something you don't hear of everyday!"

Hadiya sipped politely at her soup. "Where is your brother?" she asked Aryll.

"He's sailing! With pirates! But they're nice pirates! They helped Big Brother rescue me from the mean man. And... now they're on a quest!"

Grandmother chuckled. "Aryll, don't overload them with so much information."

"Oh, right! Sorry..."

Hadiya smiled. "What is their quest?"

"They're looking for New Hyrule!"

Link started to choke on his soup while Hadiya's spoon clattered back to the table.

"Easy, dear!" Grandmother admonished Link, reaching over and hitting him on his back to help clear the soup.

"New... Hyrule?" Link croaked out.

"Yuh-huh!" Aryll said, nodding happily and not even taking notice of the pair's reactions.

"Then..." Link started. "Your brother... is his name Link?"

"You know Big Brother?" Aryll asked excitedly.

Her grandmother clapped her hands together happily. "How wonderful! We haven't heard from him in a while, we were getting worried!"

"Could you... excuse us one minute?" Link asked. He didn't wait for them to answer before quickly standing and marching out of the house, followed closely by Hadiya.

"We are in the past," Hadiya said as soon as the door closed behind them.

"I noticed," Link grumbled. "By several centuries, too. That family is the family of the Hero of Winds!"

"Link," Hadiya hissed at him, gripping his arm tightly. "How do we get back!?"

Link's excitement over the discovery of this family faded instantly. "I don't know."

* * *

Ganondorf watched as his daughter disappeared behind the blue light; he tried to squint past it, to make sure she wasn't being attacked by the Hero of Time, but it was far too bright for him to see through. Then it faded, and his daughter was gone. A guttural bellow escaped his lips as he stared at the spot the two had been at moments ago.

A Gerudo guard rushed into the room. "What is it, M'lord?"

Ganondorf pointed at the woman. "Bring me the rebellion general! Now!"

The Gerudo bowed and then rushed out of the room.

"Return her, Link!" Ganondorf shouted into the empty room. He continued to glare at the spot they had disappeared from until Zelda appeared, flanked by several Gerudo women.

"You!" Ganondorf shouted at the Hylian woman. "This was all a trick, wasn't it?! You planned this from the start!"

Zelda, who had been studying the piles of treasure with a disgusted expression, finally turned her attention onto Ganondorf. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, and the calm tone in her voice only served to infuriate Ganondorf more.

With a growl, Ganondorf gripped Zelda by the neck and slammed her into the nearest wall. "Tell me where they went!" he shouted.

"I don't... know!" Zelda coughed out.

"I don't believe you!" Ganondorf signaled for the nearest Gerudo to give him her gun. As she started to hand it to him, there was a flicker of movement in the air. Still clutching at Zelda by the neck, Ganondorf turned slightly. The air was swirling all around them now, and then the blue light burst back into the room.

"They're returning!" Ganondorf shouted. His laughter echoed around the room as the Gerudo prepared to shoot. All Zelda could do was watch, and try to breath.

* * *

"And this is a drawing of the Hero of Time! From the legends!" Aryll said, excitedly handing Link another piece of paper. Adding it to his pile of photos of the other things Aryll had, which were mostly flowers or seagulls, he stared down at this latest addition. "Hey..." Aryll said slowly, staring at the picture herself and then back at Link. "He looks like you! Cool! Oh! Here's Link! He's a pig!" Aryll giggled as she handed Link another picture, this one of a giant, black pig.

Link added it to his pile, but he continued to stare at the drawing of himself. He did look exactly the same.

Hadiya appeared over him, tilting her head at the pictures. "He looks nothing like you," she said.

Link glanced at her and followed her gaze, glaring when he noticed which picture she was looking at. "That's the pig! This one!" Link waved the drawing of the Hero of Time under her nose.

"I see. He still looks nothing like you."

"What do you mean? He looks just like me!"

"No... look, there's a free spirit about him." Hadiya pointed at the man, but Link couldn't see anything like that in the dark ink. He imagined that the girl had had better training in studying art, but for the life of him he couldn't see anything beyond what looked like a portrait of himself, just in much stranger clothes.

Hadiya gave a shrug. "Must come from growing up in the forest."

Grandma suddenly stepped inside. "Alright! Link, if you don't mind sleeping on that chair, I think we can squeeze Hadiya and Aryll into the same bed."

"You really don't have to give us a place for the night," Link said. "You've done enough for us already."

"Where were you planning on sleeping then?" Aryll's grandmother asked with a frown.

"Uh... outside?"

Hadiya's face suddenly lit up. "Yes!" she said, rushing out of the house.

"She really likes the ocean," Link said casually when he noticed the old woman's expression.

"I see that."

Aryll began to pout. "That's not fair! I want to go camping, too!"

"Fine, fine," the older woman said with a sigh. "We can all go camping tonight."

"Yay!"

As Aryll scrambled down from her bed and rushed out of the house, Link helped the grandmother collect enough blankets and pillows. "She's very energetic," he commented.

"Yes, and growing up far too fast for my taste!"

Link smiled at her and then spotted a framed picture of her, Aryll, and a boy that he could only guess was the Hero of Winds. He had a large grin on his face, and Link tried to picture him as the hero he knew he was; hard as he tried, he couldn't picture the young boy wielding any sort of weapon, never mind going after Ganondorf, especially with that huge, relaxed smile.

"That picture's a bit outdated," Grandma commented as she joined him near the picture, folded blankets draped around her arms. "He's much older now."

"You must be worried about him."

"Link can take care of himself, I have faith in him. ...But yes, I am worried for him."

Link shook his head. "If I had a family like this I would never leave it."

He hadn't meant to say it out loud, and only when the aged woman placed a hand on his shoulder did he realize he had. "That is the kindest, and saddest, thing I have ever heard. Well, you can stay here for as long as you want!"

He considered this; could he stay here? Why not? He was in the past, Ganondorf was still sealed away... maybe he could find a way to stop Arlene and her family from unsealing him. He frowned. Could he do that? His past self had changed the past before, so why couldn't he do it again? His memories of reading in Arlene's room came back to him; Ganondorf had returned, even after everything he and Zelda had done before. He hadn't even been there to try to stop the Gerudo king when he returned. It was as if he had only diverted fate, not stopped it.

_"No,"_ Link decided. He couldn't change the past, because Ganondorf would eventually find a way to free himself anyway. Fate would make sure of that. He had to stop Ganondorf in his own time. ...But what if using the Master Sword as a seal didn't work again? Arlene hadn't been sure that it would, and even if it did, seals didn't always last. But if he killed him... he would be reborn, certainly, so that, too, wasn't a permanent fix, but in the mean time he would be dead. What was it like to be dead? He felt a cold chill fill him. How could he send someone to his death when he didn't even know what it would be like? Was it even worth it if he would just come back again anyway?

Link looked at Grandma, her eyes still fixed on the picture of her grandson. "Can I ask you something?" he blurted out.

She looked at him with a smile. "Go ahead."

"If someone was threatening the people you care about, would you... be able to kill him?"

Grandma's eyebrows shot up, disappearing behind her bangs. "Dear, I'm old, I can barely lift a full pot of soup!"

"No, but, I mean if you were physically capable of doing it, would you be able to... mentally?"

Grandma gave a thoughtful sigh. "I think duty to family is important. Taking care of the people important to you is important. But more important than another's life? ...I don't know. I don't think anyone really knows."

Link's shoulders slumped. It hadn't been the answer he was hoping for.

"Come on! Let's get our campsite set up!"

Night fell, and Grandma began to point out the different stars to them and their names as they rested on their blankets. The waves crashed next to them, but not close enough that they got sprayed with the salty water.

Hadiya pointed out a star herself. "We call that one the Sand Goddess' Eye," she said, her finger picking out a large, bright yellow star.

"That's beautiful," Grandma said as she stared at it. "We call it Hylia's Gaze."

Link smiled as they continued to point out other stars that had similar names in both Hylian and Gerudo culture.

_"They're not so far apart here,"_ Link thought to himself, remembering how people acted in his own time. Maybe it would be possible for Gerudo and Hylians to someday act like this again; gazing up at the sky, together, and just looking at the stars.

"I'm gonna go for a walk real quick," Link said quietly, not wanting to interrupt them.

Hadiya waved at him carelessly, already turning her finger onto another star.

Still smiling, Link quietly got up and set off down the beach. He wandered all the way back to the pier and sat down, his feet dangling over the edge and just barely missing the water.

A large seagull landed next to him, so close that he could've reached out and petted it if he wanted to. It stared at him with a beady, black eye, as if daring him to even try touching it, before giving a cry and flying off.

"His name is Groose."

Link turned and saw Aryll skipping over to him. "Groose?"

Aryll nodded.

"Where'd you get that from?"

The little girl shrugged. "I thought it sounded funny!"

Link chuckled and then turned back to the water. "Yeah, it is."

Aryll giggled as she sat down next to him, kicking her legs through the air. "What are you thinking about?"

"Have you ever heard of reincarnation?"

"Re... in... nope!"

"Well... it's sort of like, when you die, you come back after a while. Like being born again."

Aryll's legs stopped swinging as she considered this. "Would I be reborn with Grandma and Big Brother?"

"I... don't know. I'm not sure how it works. Maybe?"

"I don't think I like this re-in-tarnation thing then. I want to stay with Grandma and Big Brother forever! What's the point of being reborn if you can't be with your friends again?"

Link frowned. "I don't know." He remembered having friends, in a forest, and on a mountain. People who had called him brother, once. Were they even still alive? Did they remember him?

"Sounds kind of scary, actually," Aryll said quietly.

Link patted her hand. "I don't think it happens to everyone."

"Well that's good! I'd feel sorry for anyone who had to do that."

There was silence for a while, and Link thought Aryll had already forgotten about their conversation when she suddenly asked another question. "Would I still be me?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I was born again, would I still be me?"

"Well... you're the same person, so yeah."

"But I'd have a different family, right? Different experiences. So... I don't think it'd really be me. Even if I did remember the me that I am now."

Link blinked a few times, processing this. "You'd be a different person."

"I think so."

He remembered Hadiya pointing out something in the portrait of his original self, and commenting that he looked different just because he had grown up somewhere else. Link laughed. "Of course you'd be different!" His mind rushed with this new revelation. If Ganondorf could just be killed, he wouldn't come back as the same person. He would grow up with new experiences. Hyrule could make sure they were good experiences; they could make sure he didn't grow up to hate Hylians. They could make sure he wasn't evil the next time around.

"Yay!" Aryll suddenly cheered. "I made you look happy again!"

"Aryll, you're a genius, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Link said, a grin on his face.

His smile faltered when Aryll stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I like you. You remind me of Big Brother. I'm going to call you Big Brother Eddo, and you can visit anytime because now you have to since we're family!"

Link stared after her as she suddenly released him and took a few steps back, smiling at him with large eyes.

Arlene's voice drifted through his memories. _"Besides... you don't need to share the same blood to be a family. That day that he received the Triforce of Courage was the day you and he, and his family, became linked together in a very special, unique way."_

"Don't forget to visit your little sister, ok?" she demanded, putting tiny hands to hips.

"Ok," Link said quietly, wondering if maybe she wasn't really talking to him but wishing this was something she could say to her actual brother.

"Good." Seemingly satisfied, the little girl ran off, back towards the campsite.

Almost immediately after she left Hadiya appeared, slinking out of the long grass that surrounded the beach. "This place is very strange," she commented as she sat down next to him. "There is no fear here, in anyone."

"Things certainly were weird back in the day," Link commented with amusement, not even bothering to comment on the fact that she had been spying on them.

"I would very much like to stay here," Hadiya said wistfully, taking Link by surprise.

"Well... if you want, I don't see why you can't."

Hadiya looked at him excitedly but then frowned. "You will not stay?"

Link gestured out to the ocean, as if the future, their present, lay somewhere out there. "I have to..." he drifted off; there was no point in saying it. They both knew what lay waiting for him in their own time.

Hadiya stood. "Then I will return with you."

"Really?" Link craned his neck to look up at her, trying to figure out this strange woman. "Why? You don't have to."

Hadiya stared down at him, gold eyes meeting blue. They remained like that for quite a long moment before Link felt a blush beginning to creep onto the back of his neck; grateful that it was fairly dark out, he cleared his throat awkwardly and stood up as well. "We should, uh, get back then," he said nervously.

"Do you know how?" Hadiya asked, seemingly unaffected by the previous moment.

"Well... I was hoping Rauru's just waiting for us to say something..." He turned out towards the water. "I know what I have to do!" he called to the open ocean. Immediately there was a flash of light, and Link found himself back in the Chamber of Sages.

Rauru was there to greet them. "You have resolved your conflict, Link, Hero of Time?"

"I have," Link replied, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. He could kill Ganondorf now, if he had to, because now he knew there was hope in such an action. Hope for everyone, even Ganondorf himself.

"I... should warn you, that Ganondorf is prepared for your return. It would be wise if you waited here for some time."

Link frowned. "Last time you didn't let me have a choice in when I left this place. This time, I get to choose."

Rauru bowed his head. "Very well. And you, Hadiya, you choose to return now as well?"

There was only the slightest of hesitation before she replied. "Yes, please."

"Very well. Be warned: you chose this freely, and you may not like the outcome that comes from not following my advice." His eyes rested on Link for a while, growing suddenly sad. Then he stepped closer to Hadiya. "When you arrive, something will fall out of your cloak pocket. Retrieve it as quickly as you can."

Hadiya's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

Link looked from Rauru to Hadiya. "What's going to-"

"Prepare yourselves!" Rauru said.

"Stop interrupting me!" Link griped, but he pulled out the Master Sword anyway. Hadiya joined him and placed her hand over Link's just as how they had come. The sword shone with a new brilliance, and as the blue light surrounded them again it began to hum. If Link didn't know better, he would say the sword sounded almost happy. He wished he could share the sword's enthusiasm, but as soon as the light faded he found himself surrounded by several armed Gerudo, and Zelda being strangled to near unconsciousness by Ganondorf himself.

* * *

**Alrighty, as promised, KaijuKnight and Guest, here's more ramblings on your lovely reviews!**

**KaijuKnight and Guest, your idea about Link meeting his past self had me chuckling, because that was honest to goodness the original idea that I had for when Rauru sends Link and Hadiya to the past. There is a reason I changed it to this, however; one: I wanted to deepen the bond between Link and the Hero of Wind's family, because that becomes more important later on. Second: I'm always hesitant to write about a preexisting Link if it's not a parody or something humorous like that. The creators of the Zelda games make Link a 'mute' on purpose, so that whoever is playing can attach their own choice of personality to the guy, and that's why I really didn't want to stick in a Link from one of the games. My Hero of Time might be completely different from someone else's and I didn't want to ruin that for anyone reading (don't get me wrong though, I don't mind other people doing it at all, it's just something I'm too much of a scaredy-cat to try to tackle). In my original planning Link was going to end up meeting his original incarnation, and get a good talking to, but I changed it because of this very reason. I second guess myself even over the small hints that I give over what Link's past self was like, and very nearly took quite a bit of them out!**

**Also, KaijuKnight, I promise that the issue with Impa/Zelda will be explained! ...Eventually. :-)  
****I really liked your idea of going back and saving her daughter, I think it's definitely an interesting idea and I actually did consider it briefly when I first started to plan this fic, because honestly I was worried the story was just too dark if I didn't go with that idea; but then I realized I like writing her as a B8888, lol! Hopefully you'll like where I've decided to go with it; stay tuned, because next week all the questions I didn't answer in your review will be mostly answered. Yay! Then you can feel free to throw stuff at me for not going with the idea you suggested, because it would've probably been more interesting. Ha!**

**Aaaand, ramblings done. Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the long author's notes!**


	21. Chapter 20: An Unfortunate Outcome

**A big thanks once again to KaijuKnight for reviewing; your review was both inspiring and funny all at once, so thank you very much! You made an excellent point, and made me laugh all at the same time! And goodness me no, I would never do some of those things you mentioned... I'm terribly scared of heights, so could never jump out of a plane. :-D**

* * *

Chapter 20

An Unfortunate Outcome

In the Chamber of Sages, the little girl with the green hair and old eyes placed her hands on her hips, a sad expression on her face. "You could've tried harder to convince Link and Hadiya to stay here for a while."

Rauru gazed into the darkness around them. "It was not my place to sway that decision. Two possible realities were in form at that moment. Who am I to pick between the two? He had to choose." Rauru looked at the little girl. "I'm sorry, Saria. I know you and he were friends."

"We still are. We always will be. I just wish... he had picked the other possible reality."

"We all make our choices, Saria. And we all must live with them."

Saria joined him in gazing into the darkness. "Live... there's the hard part."

"He'll survive."

"I know."

"We've done everything we can. Now it's up to him."

"Again." Saria wiped a tear from her cheek. Rauru faded away from the Chamber, leaving Saria alone. Once more, the girl gazed into Link's future. "Oh, Link... I'm so sorry."

* * *

As soon as the light faded, Link found himself surrounded by several armed Gerudo, and Zelda being strangled to near unconsciousness by Ganondorf himself. Everything in the room froze when Link and Hadiya appeared. He noticed Ganondorf staring at his daughter with bulging eyes, and as Link glanced down at the hand that the girl still had placed over his own, he realized they looked like friends instead of the enemies they should be.

So Link punched Hadiya along the side of her jaw. It was a slow, sloppy move, and the girl could have easily dodged it if she wanted to, but she didn't. She had realized at the same time as Link that this was the only way to get Ganondorf's attention away from her.

The girl landed roughly, and then rolled away from the spot, towards the nearest guards. As Link turned his attention back to Ganondorf, the Master Sword raised in his hands, he heard a soft chink of something landing on the pile of coins. In the corner of his eyes he caught Hadiya desperately digging around; it would appear Rauru was correct and something really had fallen out of her pocket.

"You!" Ganondorf shouted, breaking the silence. "How dare you hit my daughter!?"

"Daughter?" Zelda choked out, her eyes flicking between Ganondorf and Hadiya.

Link took a brief moment to roll his eyes; leave it to Zelda to still find a way to talk, even when her adversary had a tight grip on her throat.

Ganondorf flung his free hand at Link. "Open fire!" he shouted at the guards.

Link was moving before the guards even pulled their triggers. He moved away from where Hadiya was digging and leaped behind a cabinet. The bullets dug into the wood, a few even making it through and sailing past him with sharp whistles. The moment there was a pause in the shooting, Link dived out of his cover and grinned at Ganondorf. He didn't want to get too close while he still had Zelda in his clutches, but he had a fairly good idea on how to get him away from her.

"Come on, Ganondorf, you haven't gotten out of shape since the last time we fought, have you? Quit hiding behind your guards and fight me yourself."

A snarl on his face, the Gerudo king threw Zelda away from him and drew his own sword. "No interruptions!" Ganondorf shouted to his guards. "I will kill him myself, and take the Triforce of Courage!"

Glad that he wouldn't have to worry about getting shot, Link quickly charged towards the Gerudo king.

Planting his feet on the shifting floor of coins, Ganondorf met Link's sword with his own, a heavy clang ringing out.

"You can't defeat me," Ganondorf hissed at Link, pushing against the Master Sword with his dark blade. "Try to seal me up in a prison if you want, but that sword won't work on me again, and you don't have Zelda here to help you!"

Link felt a surge of relief; somehow Zelda had still managed to hide her identity from Ganondorf. Now, as soon as she recovered, she would be able to help him with some of her magic and then they could finally end this. He pushed back against Ganondorf's sword, his arms straining against the constant force they had to hold. "I _can_ kill you."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try. I'll just come back! Reborn, even stronger than before!"

Link finally found a solid, unmoving piece of floor and gave a hard shove. Ganondorf was flung back, and it took him a moment to catch his balance. Before Link charged forward again, he glanced over at Zelda. She was struggling to stand on shaking limbs, her hands at her throat and massaging it as she gasped in air.

The swords clashed together again. Sweat dripped into Link's eyes; his side was beginning to burn again, and he realized he must have torn his stitches.

_"Forgot about those,"_ he thought to himself dully before ducking and pulling his sword away, swinging it towards Ganondorf's legs. The man easily jumped over it. _"He's way too fast!"_ Link was forced to roll to the side before Ganondorf could swing his own weapon down on top of him. Rolling into a pile of jewels, Link heard the loud clang of Ganondorf's sword hitting the floor. Had he been just a split second slower it wouldn't have missed him.

Link scrambled to his feet, placing a hand at his side as he did so. He winced when his hand came back covered in blood. A wave of dizziness passed over him, and he stumbled to the side, just barely avoiding another swing of Ganondorf's sword.

_"I'm not going to win..."_

The thought made a rush of anger flow through him. He remembered doing this before; he remembered striking several near fatal blows on this monster before Zelda and the other sages sealed him away. Tightening his grip on the Master Sword, he prepared himself for another one of Ganondorf's onslaughts. This time, Ganondorf took a few steps back before a crackle of electricity warned Link that he was using his magic. He remembered that, too. Instead of ducking out of the way, he waited for the sphere of dark magic to reach him before swinging with all his strength.

The sword vibrated in his hands as it connected with the dark magic, and for a moment the crackling ball of electricity and his sword remained perfectly still, fighting against one another. Finally his sword seemed to win the struggle, and the magic was sent flying back towards Ganondorf. Snarling, the man dodged it and charged forward again, trying to impale Link with his sword. Ducking under it, Link quickly swung up; he felt the sword glance against the man's armor, but Ganondorf didn't even grunt.

_"How thick is that armor?"_ Link wondered as he leaped away from Ganondorf.

The Gerudo king was a bit unsteady from the blow all the same, and Link quickly decided to take advantage of this. He charged forward again, the Master Sword cutting through the air in front of him. Link was quickly upon Ganondorf, and he made sure to put all his strength into his blow. With a sickening sound of metal cutting through flesh and armor, Link felt his sword make contact. The blade slid straight Ganondorf's chest, completely disappearing into him and leaving just the hilt visible.

Everyone in the room froze. Link and Ganondorf were locked together, their eyes staring into one another's in shock. Even Hadiya had stopped her desperate search and was staring at her father with wide, disbelieving eyes. Zelda was the first to break the silence, as a slow breath escaped from her lips.

With the stillness of the room shattered by that quiet whisper, a slow grin began to form on Ganondorf's face. With a laugh, Ganondorf shoved Link away from him. Without even hesitating he gripped the Master Sword's hilt and yanked its blade out of his chest before discarding it almost casually. Almost everyone else in the room watched it fall to the ground in horror, but just before it collapsed against the ground Link was rolling towards it. He swiped it back into his grasp before swiftly dodging away, just barely avoiding another sweep of Ganondorf's sword.

"Enough of this!" Ganondorf shouted. Turning sharply, he practically flew across the room and grabbed Zelda once again. "Surrender! Or I will kill your general!"

Link froze, and so did Zelda, though that could just be because she couldn't breathe again.

_"What do I do? Protect Zelda! ...Oh well that's really helpful, thanks. Got any other bright ideas, Link? Why the heck isn't she using any magic?"_

No answers to any of his questions came to him. He couldn't move any closer to Ganondorf or Zelda without risking him snapping her neck; he still didn't know she was Zelda, and Link could use that to his advantage. If he did find out, he would kill her right away. For whatever reason Zelda couldn't use her powers at the moment, and he needed to make sure she stayed safe until she was able to. It was becoming increasingly clear to him that he couldn't win without her help, and if she died Hyrule was lost anyway. Hyrule needed its monarch.

"You do care about this pathetic commander of your rebellion, don't you?" Ganondorf asked mockingly, tightening his grip. Zelda responded with a choked, garbled word that sounded something like an insult. "Shut up," Ganondorf snapped at Zelda. "Surrender, Hero of Time!"

_"What do I _do_!? What would Zelda do? No wait, don't ask that... she'd probably just try to shoot him and that would ruin everything. What would Arly do?"_

Link lowered the Master Sword only slightly. "Give me your word you won't kill her."

Zelda tried to say something else, but when all she managed to get out was a strangled cry she resorted to glaring at Link.

Ganondorf tilted his head, considering it. "Deal."

"Promise me!" Link shouted, fighting back another wave of dizziness as more of his blood dripped onto the coins below.

Ganondorf chuckled and released Zelda. She fell to the floor again, breathing in ragged breaths. "I promise," he said with a grin. "It's a waste of my energy to kill a peasant anyway."

Link chewed at his lower lip, and then, ever so slowly, loosened his grip on the Master Sword. It fell to the floor, landing with a heavy clatter that tore at Link's heart.

Ganondorf swung his arm through the air, and suddenly Link found himself flying towards the nearest wall. He crashed into it heavily before sliding towards the floor. Ganondorf was there, waiting for him; he grabbed Link by the collar of his jacket and held him in place as he raised his sword in the air.

"No!" Zelda cried, her voice barely recognizable in its hoarseness.

Ganondorf paused, though it wasn't Zelda that had stopped him. At the same time that Zelda had cried out, so had Hadiya.

"Hadiya," Ganondorf said slowly, not taking his eyes off of Link. "Why do you protest? He is our enemy!"

"He'll just be reborn," Hadiya said slowly, carefully, as if weighing each word on her tongue before she spoke them. "Do you really want to have to start your search all over again after you kill him?"

Ganondorf's head tilted once again. Link stared up at him, not daring to speak as he waited for the large man to calculate his options. "A good point, Hadiya. But I think I want his Triforce. If I take it, I won't have to worry about his reincarnation anyway."

Hadiya closed her eyes as Ganondorf raised his sword once again. Link didn't. He kept his eyes open, staring into Ganondorf's dark red irises and not even blinking as the Gerudo king swung his sword downwards.

The blade stopped a hair's breadth away from his head. "Then again... I still don't know where Zelda is, and until I have all three pieces together there's really no point to taking Courage now..." With a shrug Ganondorf moved his sword away from Link. "Besides." A grin began to form on the man's face. "I think it would be fun to try and make you _want_ to give me your piece of the Triforce. Don't you?"

Ganondorf didn't wait for Link to answer before releasing him and signaling at his guards. "Take him to a cell. One of the high security ones."

"Yes, sir!"

Link grunted as he was lifted back to his feet, the knife wound in his side throbbing steadily with sharp bursts of pain. His heart was beating heavily, and he mentally shouted at himself, and his past self, to come up with something to get him out of _this_ mess. Nothing came. He saw Zelda and Hadiya standing together; though they were separated by several Gerudo guards, they were wearing matching expressions of concern. As he was half-dragged, half-marched past them, he grinned at them and winked. Hadiya rolled her eyes and the concern all but left her face, but Zelda nodded at him. "Stay strong, we'll get you out," she whispered hoarsely.

"Get him out?" Ganondorf repeated with amusement. "I don't think so. You're going back to your cell! Until after dinner that is! We have an appointment, don't forget! I still want to know where Zelda is, General Impa."

* * *

Link passed by several large cells, all filled with members of the rebellion. One, he noticed, held two very familiar faces. "Orca! Sera!" Link called out cheerfully, dragging his feet even more to slow the Gerudo that were escorting him.

"Eddo!?" both Orca and Sera exclaimed as they pushed through the rebels that were sharing their cell.

"How's it going?" Link asked.

"What happened to you, Ed?" Sera asked worriedly.

"Had a disagreement with a knife; the knife won."

"Ed," Orca began. "Why didn't you tell me you were the Hero of Time? That was rather thoughtless of you."

"Sorry about that!" Link called, having to twist his head almost a full one-eighty to see them now that he and his group had passed the cell. "Don't worry, though, I've got a plan!"

Sera threw her arms in the air. "Goddesses, he's got a plan now, does he? This ought to be good..."

"Oh it is! The best, actually! See you later! Oh and Beth is fine, by the way!"

Feeling a little better now that he had seen his friends, he didn't mind too much when he was taken from the room with all the cells and through another set of doors. These doors closed loudly behind him, leaving behind the bright lights that he had thought were in every room. Now their only source of light was a row of large torches lining the stone walls. Between each pair of torches were heavy looking wooden doors. It all looked rather old fashioned. They stopped at the very first of these doors, and one of the Gerudo pulled it open with some effort.

"I take it this is a high security cell?" Link asked as he was shoved inside. "It's a bit small..." He couldn't even stretch out his arms fully without his hands bumping into rough stone, and he soon discovered it was the same in every direction. There was no bed, and nothing to sit on but the cold stone underneath his feet. The door swung closed, leaving him in total darkness. "No lights in here. Did you realize that?" Link shouted through the door, but he received no response. All he heard was the footfalls of the Gerudo as they left.

Feeling suddenly claustrophobic, Link felt his way to the closest wall - which wasn't that hard to find - and then slid down it so he was sitting. He had to tuck his legs against his chest, as there was little room and no where else to put them. Leaning against the stone, he pressed a hand to his side. From what he could feel, it seemed that the bleeding had finally stopped at least.

Link sighed as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He knew there wasn't much to see, but it would make him feel better if he could at least notice his hand when he held it in front of his face. Then again, there were no windows, and as far as he could tell no cracks in any of the walls; so maybe there just wasn't any light at all. In which case, his eyes would never find anything to adjust _to_.

_"Well... I'm getting bored already in here."_

He supposed he now had plenty of time to start thinking up that plan he had mentioned to Sera. There was nothing else to do, after all. Briefly he wondered why Zelda had seemed so concerned; certainly the cell was a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn't planning on staying there that long anyway. As for what Ganondorf had said... he couldn't imagine ever wanting to give the man his piece of the Triforce, and he found himself rolling his eyes at the man's arrogance.

_"Seriously, it's going to take more than a tiny room with no windows to make me give up,"_ he thought with amusement.

* * *

**Just another reminder that the updating schedule is going to be changed for next week and the week after. Next week is Monday and Tuesday, and the week after will be Wednesday and Friday. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!**

**Oh and also, one more thing: I recently put on my profile page the total number of chapters that this story is, but I thought I'd mention it here, too, so that nobody misses it (I don't know about you guys, but I always like to know how long something that I'm reading is); this here fic be a total of 45 chapters, including the prologue and epilogue, so... we're almost half way through! Yay!**


	22. Chapter 21: The Plan, Stan

******First off I want you all to know that I really really appreciate each and every one of your reviews. I love every single comment I get! Unfortunately I felt like I had to delete my latest one, because there were just far too many spoilers from games that aren't mentioned in this fic. I truly am sorry to the person who took all that time to write it; I hate having to do stuff like this, because I'm a firm believer of free speech and all that jazz, but at the same time I don't want any games to be ruined for anyone and even though you kindly stated there were spoilers in your review, I was worried people would think you meant spoilers for this fic, and not for one of the games. Once again I'm truly sorry.**

******For future comments on this fic, I'd really like to ask that people keep in mind the spoilers warning that I have for this fic way back in the prologue; if I don't have any warnings that spoilers exist for a certain game, please try to refrain from talking about that game too much in the reviews (so please only discuss spoilers from ****Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Ocarina of Time), since I have warnings up for those games already I think that's pretty fair for everyone. Thank you very much, and sorry to be annoying about this! I hope I didn't scare y'all off!**

**Guest:  
****Thank you so much for reviewing! Will Demise or Hylia be mentioned? I'm gonna have to say unfortunately no. I've only played through Skyward Sword once, and usually like to play a game several times before I feel confident enough to use it for a story; the only references I put in to Skyward Sword is Fi, because I loved her character and couldn't help myself, but they're very subtle and it's not necessary for people to have played Skyward Sword to enjoy them.  
****Oh and also, I felt like I should address something you mentioned in your other wonderful review, about the Triforce pieces. In the Wind Waker I guess it's supposed to be assumed that the Triforce pieces went back to the Sacred Realm, but it's never actually stated in any of the games that that is what happened, so I took some advantage of that and decided that maybe they were just floating around, waiting for the right moment to return to their respective carriers. Haha, probably not the most complex of plot ideas, but it's what made this story possible so I just rolled with it XD And as for Ganondorf thinking Link wouldn't be a threat without the Triforce... well, that's just him being the typical, arrogant villain, lol!**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 21

The Plan, Stan

He was hungry. No, more than that, he was _starving_. The meals he was given weren't enough to fill a rat, and didn't seem to be given at set intervals; the tiny bowl of thin porridge arrived whenever the Gerudo felt like giving him something, which also made it hard to tell how long he had even been there.

Link heard the locks on the door turning, and he quickly prepared his eyes for the flash of bright light. It didn't feel that long since the last time they had given him food, but maybe someone in the kitchen had made leftovers and they didn't feel like throwing it out. Link smirked at the thought, and it was with that big stupid grin on his face that Hadiya found him with when she pulled the door open.

"Link!" the young woman whispered. "I am sorry I took so long to see you."

"Hey, Hadi..." Link replied, trying to sound more alert than he was feeling. "How long has it been this time?"

"A week."

"Oh." That meant they were only giving him one meal every other day. "If they keep changing my meal schedule like this I'm going to have to file a complaint."

"I think you had better," Hadiya replied, just as seriously. "Here."

Link greedily took the large slice of bread she offered him.

"It was all I could get. I think the cook is getting suspicious of me."

"How's the plan going?" Link asked, barely taking the time to chew the delicious, warm food.

Hadiya shrugged. "As slowly as the last time you asked me. Ganondorf moved the Master Sword to his own room, and I can't get in unless he's already there."

Link sighed through his nose, his mouth still full of bread. "Then..." he said slowly. "Maybe we should try something else."

"Like what?"

Link swallowed the last of his meal. He was still hungry. "I think we should get Impa out of here. She's still in the low security cells with the others, if we can set up the right distraction-"

"How will getting her free help?"

Still sitting down, he scooted forward a bit and leaned closer to Hadiya. "She's Zelda," he whispered, barely hearing his own voice himself.

Hadiya breathed in sharply, her hand absentmindedly flying to her cloak's pocket. "What?" she hissed back.

"I don't know how she's done it, but she's managed to hide her identity from him so far. It's dangerous the longer she stays here, though. You need to get her out of here."

"Link..."

"Look, if she's not here I don't have to worry about her being found out. Right now I'm tiptoeing around Ganondorf and I'm getting tired of it. If she's not here I won't have to be so cautious."

"If she really is... who you say she is, then perhaps she will know some sort of magic that could hold Ganondorf in place, so you can finally get in close to kill him."

Link slumped back against the stone wall, wincing when a sore spot on his back was pressed too hard on the wall.

"What is it?" Hadiya asked suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're ok with this? It's one thing to help me out with food and stuff, but it's another to help with killing Ganondorf."

"He must die," Hadiya said simply. "He is an evil man."

Link studied her. "Well, you'll get no argument from me, but... he's still your father."

Hadiya snorted. "He has never been a father to me. I have never received a single word of praise from him, a hug, nor even a smile."

Link frowned, trying to imagine what it must have been like growing up with Ganondorf as one's father. The girl had never even been hugged; he couldn't think of any memory more comforting than when he recalled his mother embracing him when he was a child. Link suddenly moved forward again and pulled Hadiya to him and held her tight. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her dark red hair.

Hadiya tensed for a long moment before awkwardly patting him on the back and then pulling away, refusing to meet his eyes. "I will help get Impa free."

"Thank you. And I'll..." Link's eyes suddenly lit up. "I'll see to the distraction."

Hadiya finally looked up, a smile on her face. "That should prove to be interesting."

Link winked at her. "Interesting is my middle name." He chuckled when a look of confusion crossed across Hadiya's face. "Now then... let's make our new plan."

* * *

Zelda sat on one of the few benches in her cell; they were supposed to act as beds as well as seats, but Zelda and the others quickly discovered that the stone floor was actually more comfortable. She shut her eyes, trying to block out the sounds of distant, muffled screaming from the room next to them, from the high security prison area. It didn't help, and if anything closing her eyes amplified the sound even more.

"Come on," Orca growled from the cell across from her. Sera was next to him, leaning against him for comfort with her hands pressed tightly against her ears. "How long has it been?"

Two hours. Zelda wished she didn't know, but in her cell she had nothing else to do but count the seconds as they ticked by painfully slowly. The other rebels around her were seated in much the same way that she was, curled into themselves and wearing matching expressions of fatigue and disgust.

"General," one of the rebels next to her began cautiously.

Zelda pried open an eyelid and looked at him.

"How much longer do you think he can survive this?"

Zelda let her eye slide closed again. "As long as he has to. Just like the rest of us."

Suddenly the screaming stopped. The last few echoes of it faded away, and then they were left in absolute silence. Zelda frowned and opened her eyes again.

"Why isn't he leaving?" she wondered aloud. They stared at the doors that led to the high security cells, but Ganondorf didn't appear, and they remained shut. The seconds ticked by, and when a few minutes had passed Zelda pushed herself to her feet. "Something's happened."

Just as she finished speaking, several Gerudo guards appeared from the outside hallway; they rushed past the rebellion's cells, their armor clanking heavily as they went. Zelda watched as they ran into the high security prison room. The doors opened and closed behind them so quickly Zelda couldn't make out anything inside, but the silence that was still emanating from that room scared her more than anything else.

Then another Gerudo appeared, a dark cloak draped around her shoulders as she stepped hurriedly but confidently towards Zelda's cell.

"General Impa?" the young woman asked quietly.

"...Yes."

The woman smiled, and it was the first time Zelda had ever seen a Gerudo smile genuinely. Before she could ask what she wanted, the woman quickly reached into her cloak and pulled out a large, metal key.

"Wait, I remember you," Zelda said suspiciously as the Gerudo stuffed the key into her cell's lock and turned it. "Your _his_ daughter."

"I am Hadiya," the woman answered back, her voice sounding indignant.

The rebels around Zelda stepped forward to surround Zelda when the door to their cell was opened. "What's going on?" one of them asked.

"I am freeing you."

Zelda couldn't hide the surprise from her face. "...Why?"

"Because, my... friend... asked me to," she said, her mouth twisting slightly over the word friend, as if it were a completely foreign idea to her. "Now come, General Impa, quickly."

Zelda stepped out of her cell. "Free the rest of my people first."

Hadiya glanced to the large doors where her father was. "I don't know how much time we have."

Zelda snapped her fingers, once, to get the girl to look at her. "Then you'd better hurry."

Hadiya gave a frustrated sigh, but then quickly moved to unlock the other cells. "Now,_ hurry_! Link has created a distraction, but it might not last much longer."

Orca scrambled out of his cell. "I wonder what he did. Let's go get him!"

"You cannot!" Hadiya protested, already walking briskly towards the prison's exit. "Ganondorf and the guards will kill you all if he sees you escaped. None of you even have any weapons." Turning sharply, she noticed no one else was moving; they were all gathered around Zelda, who was staring at her with sharp, blue eyes. "General Impa... _Zelda_... he is doing all this to get you out. Do not let his efforts go in vain."

Zelda strode forward. "I do not leave anyone behind!" she snapped, her voice shaking with emotion and exhaustion.

Hadiya met the older woman's glare evenly. "You are useless to him right now."

Zelda squared her shoulders. "You know who I am, obviously; you should know I am not useless."

"But you are. I _know_."

Zelda stared at Hadiya, glaring into her eyes, but the girl didn't back down. She knew the Gerudo was right, thought how _she_ knew that was beyond Zelda. She would be of no help to Link in her current state. She would probably be of no use to Link for the rest of her life. Glancing in back of her, Zelda saw her people. Hylians, all waiting to see what their leader would order. Deflating, Zelda nodded. "Help me get them out of here."

Hadiya nodded. "That, as Link likes to say, is the plan, Stan."

Shaking her head, Zelda followed Hadiya out of the prison. "Good to know he's been teaching you useful Hylian phrases."

Behind her, she heard Sera whispering something. She looked back, once more, and saw Sera pulling Orca along. The young man didn't take his eyes off the large doors they were leaving behind. Through them, Zelda still couldn't hear anything but silence.

* * *

Everything hurt. His mind was flooded with pain, and even thinking of trying to move made it worse. But, eventually, he knew he would _have_ to move. He had to carry out his part of the plan and create the distraction, before he became too weak.

Ganondorf was standing a few feet away, still out of reach while his hand crackled with dark magic from the latest spell he had used. "Give me the Triforce of Courage!"

Link groaned as he dragged himself to his feet, using the wall as support until he was finally standing and then gripping tightly to one of the torches to help him stay standing. "Ah... what the heck. Might as well."

A shocked expression passed over Ganondorf's face before it was quickly replaced by a grin. "Giving up already, Hero of Time?" He spat onto the floor. "Pathetic."

Link shut his eyes and concentrated. He had spent a few days in the privacy of his cell, practicing this, making sure he knew how to do it and how far he could go and still be able to pull back quickly enough. At first nothing happened, but he forced himself to focus through the pain racking his body and then he felt it. That tug. He pulled against it, harder than it was pulling to stay put, and soon his trap was set; all he had to do was wait for Ganondorf to get closer.

The symbol on his hand began to glow, and Ganondorf stepped forward eagerly. The golden triangle glowed even brighter, filling the room with a soft, warm light.

"It's mine!" Ganondorf shouted with glee, reaching out his own hand.

Sensing the Gerudo's close proximity, Link stopped pulling. His piece of Triforce quickly began to retreat, back to where it had been before. Snapping his eyes open, Link grabbed Ganondorf's hand before he could notice the glow was fading.

"What is this!?" Ganondorf shouted. He raised his free hand to hit Link, but the blow never came. His hand remained frozen in midair, above his head. "What..." Ganondorf grunted. He tried to move again, but couldn't.

"It took me days to work out how to do this," Link said through gritted teeth, sweat dripping from his forehead as he fought to keep his control. "Zelda could do it from a distance, use her powers to contain evil, but I couldn't quite figure out how to do it her way, so I'm doing it my way."

"Let go of me!" Ganondorf screeched.

"No."

Ganondorf glared at him, his eyes blazing with fury. "This plan of yours is pathetic. What are you going to do now, Hero of Time!? Hold hands with me forever?"

Link didn't answer, but internally he was screaming at Hadiya to hurry up. It was up to her to call the guards to her and tell them she sensed her father was in trouble. If she didn't get them cleared out of the halls for the others to escape soon, their plan might just fail. He could already feel himself growing more tired, and Ganondorf was fighting against his magic with his own. They were both struggling for control so desperately that the Triforce symbols on their hands both began to glow.

"Power versus your pathetic Courage. Who do you think will win, Hero of Time?" Ganondorf hissed.

"I'd say..." Link breathed out. "It's a pretty fair fight."

Guards suddenly stormed inside the room, and Link could have collapsed with relief. But he couldn't, as Hadiya still needed more time to release the prisoners. While he had asked her to just help Zelda, he knew the princess would make her free everyone else as well, which meant he had to hold on for at least another few minutes.

The guards surrounded them, staring in awe at the golden auras around their king and his enemy.

A long moment passed before Ganondorf risked putting some of his attention onto his guards. "Shoot him!" Ganondorf shouted at the women.

They all pointed their guns at Link, but none of them fired. "You're too close, sire!" one of the women said finally.

Another long moment, and then, "I don't care! Just shoot!"

One of the guards immediately obeyed, firing a single bullet towards Link's right leg. He could feel the bullet enter his thigh and go through; he could hear it clatter against the floor where it landed at the other end of the room, but he couldn't feel any pain from it. The Triforce was protecting him from that at the moment, or maybe the goddesses. He wasn't sure, but either way he was grateful for it.

Another long pause. "Shoot him again!" Ganondorf hollered.

Another bullet passed through his shoulder on the same side. This time he felt it. His control slipped, and Ganondorf freed himself. Kicking out, Ganondorf's heavy boot connected with Link's stomach. The Hylian collapsed to the floor, hardly able to breath and twitching with pain. His eyes slipped closed, and he prayed to whoever might be listening that he had given them enough time.

Before he lost himself completely to the darkness that was quickly surrounding him, his last conversation with Hadiya pushed itself to the surface of his memories.

_"Link..." she said hesitantly, her hands on the door as she prepared to close and lock it. "If this plan works... I might have to leave."_

_"I know," Link said with a soft smile. "You'll be back though." He studied her face. "Are you _sure_ you're able to do this?"_

_"Are you?"_

_He winked at her, and then that was the end of that particular conversation. Neither bothered to mention that each hadn't really answered the question._

_Hadiya took another step backwards, out of the cell, and Link thought he saw a few tears in her eyes. "I won't be able to bring you any more bread."_

_"I'll miss you, too, Hadi."_

_"Good bye, Link. ...Thank you for..." she paused, her jaw working silently around words she wasn't sure how to say. "You are my first friend."_

_The door closed. Link was left alone in darkness._

* * *

What was left of the rebellion made it halfway to the palace's exit before Ganondorf and his guards swept into the hall they were in.

"Shoot them all!" Ganondorf shouted, his eyes bulging with pure anger.

"Run!" Zelda called. Mayhem broke out after that, and as bullets flew over their heads the rebellion made a mad dash towards the doors.

Beside her, Hadiya suddenly stopped short. "Go!" she shouted at Zelda, giving her a shove when the older woman paused.

The bullets raining down on them continued, even as Hadiya slowly made her way through the crowd back towards Ganondorf and his guards.

"Hadiya!?" Ganondorf shouted. "Cease fire! Everyone cease fire!"

"Father," Hadiya said curtly, standing at her full height between the still retreating rebellion and her people.

"What do you think you're _doing_?"

"Becoming who I should have become a long time ago. I will no longer stand under your shadow. You have ruled for far too long, and I _will_ take your throne for myself."

Ganondorf snarled. "You are going against centuries of tradition with that remark. Don't think I won't kill you, Hadiya, just because you're my daughter!"

Hadiya smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I would expect nothing else of you, Father."

Ganondorf snatched a gun from the guard closest to him and aimed it himself. "I won't let a measly guard be the one to kill you. You deserve better. You are my daughter, after all." The gun clicked as he readied it.

Hadiya tensed. The rebellion behind her was long gone, and had hopefully made it to safety. She was on her own now.

The gun in Ganondorf's hands was fired. Hadiya closed her eyes. She didn't want her last sight to be of the scowl on her father's face from behind a gun. Instead, she thought of stargazing with Aryll's grandmother. She thought of the ocean, and just sitting on the pier with Link. She thought of what it had felt like to be free, because for that short amount of time, gazing up at the sky and listening to the waves, she had felt it for the first time.

* * *

**Thanks very much for reading! See you all tomorrow with Chapter 22!**


	23. Chapter 22: A Bad Day

**Hey everyone, guess what! Go on, guess! No? Oh fine. After this chapter we'll be halfway done with the entire fic! Yay!**

**Guest: As always, thanks ever so much for reviewing! I don't know why, but I really do enjoy writing a super cruel Ganondorf (I wonder what that says about me, lol), so, yeah... expect to see more of that :-D**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 22

A Bad Day

Zelda paused just outside the large doors that led outside, to the palace grounds. "There will probably be guards out there, so get to the walls and over as quickly as you can," she instructed the rest of the rebellion behind her. "You," Zelda pointed at one of her soldiers that wasn't quite as tired as the others. She pointed out two others as well. "We'll take out the first few guards then cover the others."

With an encouraging nod, the woman turned to the doors and kicked them open; they swung out far easier than she thought they would. Two of the men she had selected ran through and swung to the left at the same time that Zelda and the other swung to the right. The guards standing in front of the doors didn't even have a chance to pull out their weapons before Zelda and the others were upon them. Slamming her elbow into the face of one of the Gerudo, Zelda snatched the gun from the woman's belt and fired off a few rounds. Soon the exit was clear, and the other Hylians quickly passed through the doors as well.

"The shield isn't even up," one of the rebels commented as he grabbed a gun for himself.

Zelda looked behind her and noticed he was right. That explained why the door opened so easily. Whatever Link had done, it seemed to be working. "Move!" she shouted, pointing to the wall. "Orca, Sera, I know you two haven't had much training but there's no place to learn like the present!"

"Don't worry about us, dear!" Sera said, panting heavily. "We can climb over that wall no problem."

"Go, we'll cover you."

Zelda and the three she had picked quickly ran towards the garden, where there would be some cover. Checking through her gun's scope, she watched her people race across the grounds. They were halfway across when she saw more guards beginning to pour out of the palace. They didn't even notice the four Hylians crouched next to them behind the bushes until it was too late. Several Gerudo fell before they were able to react and throw down some shields for themselves; the small black boxes that they tossed to the ground quickly unfolded to offer them protection, but not before several more fell from the Hylians' bullets.

"Fall back," Zelda ordered, and she and the others quickly backed away, deeper into the bushes and flowers as bullets flew over their heads.

With the Gerudo hesitant to leave the safety of their shields, Zelda quickly signaled for the three men with her to make for the wall themselves. As the three quickly pushed their way through the bushes, Zelda inched closer to the Gerudo, staring through her scope, looking for a chance to take out another Gerudo.

A few noticed the rustling of the bushes from her retreating men, and poked out their heads to try and get a few shots in. Almost instantaneously they all fell back to the ground with bullets in their heads. Zelda smirked, her gun smoking from the rapid fire. "Come on, try to shoot them again, I dare you."

Sounds of guns being fired in back of her made her turn. A few Gerudo had snuck around the palace and were trying to outflank the escaping prisoners. With a snarl on her face, Zelda tore through the garden and towards them; she only had a few bullets left, but as soon as she was close enough not a single one was wasted.

Discarding the now useless weapon, Zelda continued her charge towards the enemy. There were still a few rebels trying to climb the wall, most of which, she noticed, were still there because they were trying to help Sera climb up. With a shout, Zelda bowled into the group of Gerudo, her fists flying. The Gerudo were skilled at hand-to-hand combat, but Zelda was able to hold them off long enough for her to snag a gun from one of them. With the pistol held tight in her hand, she pointed it at the Gerudo she had stolen it from; at the same time, most of the other Gerudo had managed to pull back enough to aim their own guns at her.

Zelda didn't even look at the others as she continued to point her gun at the unarmed woman before her. "Ok, girls. You shoot me, I shoot her. You lower your weapons, I might _not_ shoot her. Make a decision."

* * *

The ocean was all around her; its blue waters sparkled almost blindingly in the sunlight, and all she could hear was the cries of the gulls above her, the waves, and the wind. She smiled. This was paradise. The ocean flickered around her when she heard a noise different from that of the sounds of the water. It was a small thunk. Had it been the bullet hitting her? No, she didn't feel any pain, and she was still here with the ocean. A split fraction of a second later there was another strange noise, similar to the first.

Hadiya opened her eyes reluctantly, and discovered a shield standing in front of her. Someone had thrown a Gerudo shield, which had been the first noise, and the second must have been the bullet hitting it. Behind the thick metal she could hear Ganondorf give a frustrated shout. Turning sharply, she caught sight of Imparo.

"Hurry!" the man shouted.

Forgetting her ocean for the time being, Hadiya quickly raced down the hallway, following the Hylian. "Why?" she asked when she caught up.

"Because..." Imparo began uncertainly, pushing open the doors the rebellion had escaped through a few minutes earlier. "He told me to not do anything that goes against my beliefs."

She wasn't certain if that answer explained much of anything, but she decided not to press the matter. They still had to escape the palace themselves.

As soon as they made it to the main hall, Imparo skidded to a halt. "Keep going!" he said, pointing at the large doors that led outside.

"You are not coming?"

Imparo shook his head. "I don't think he saw me. I can stay here and maybe do more good from here."

Hadiya nodded and then quickly moved to the doors. Glancing in back of her, she saw Imparo had already disappeared. She pushed the doors open; the shield was still down to let out the Gerudo guards that were trying to catch the rebellion, so they swung open easily. Slipping outside, the first thing Hadiya noticed was that there was a group of Gerudo crouched behind a shield, cautiously scanning the nearby garden for any threats. A few of their sisters lay dead beside them. The second thing Hadiya noticed was Zelda. She was several yards away, surrounded by Gerudo, and pointing a small pistol at just one of them. All the same, by the way she held herself she seemed fairly confident about her current predicament.

Hadiya looked to the wall and saw several of the rebellion members lifting Sera up and over. Marching past the guards and towards Zelda, she watched out of the corner of her eye as the last few prisoners finally climbed over the wall.

"Stand down!" Hadiya shouted as she drew closer to the Gerudo surrounding Zelda.

"Milady?" the eldest of the Gerudo guards asked uncertainly.

Hadiya rounded on this woman, staring right into her eyes. "You dare question my order?"

"No... Of course not!" She turned to the other Gerudo. "Lower your weapons."

Zelda cautiously lowered her own once the others had dropped their weapons onto the grass. "Well, it looks like someone else had to make the decision for you all."

"General Impa, we must go," Hadiya said urgently, gesturing towards the wall.

Zelda looked at her, the suspicion never leaving her eyes even as she nodded in agreement. The two women quickly started to move away from the guards. Behind them, Hadiya heard the familiar click of a pistol as it was readied. Turning sharply she saw one of the Gerudo guards was pointing a gun. Directly at _her_. "Why are you going with a Hylian?" the woman asked in confusion.

"What do you think you are doing!?" Hadiya shouted at her; the other Gerudo, she noticed, while not copying the action of their comrade, were also not trying to stop her.

The gun was fired, and Hadiya felt a heavy body run into her. Zelda tackled the young Gerudo princess to the ground, firing off a shot of her own as she did so. It didn't miss.

"Now we're even," Zelda grunted to Hadiya before pushing herself to her feet.

Hadiya followed suit and was soon running after Zelda as she raced to the wall. They climbed over and were greeted by the rest of the rebellion, who were all waiting with anxious expressions.

"Move, you idiots!" Zelda snapped, nodding to the alleyways. "We'll regroup later."

Zelda swiftly bolted for the nearest alleyway, listening to the footfalls of her people as they scattered. As soon as she was in the safety of the shadows, she collapsed towards the wall and leaned against it heavily. She pressed a hand to her side, ignoring the stinging sensation, and then pulled it away. Her hand was covered in red. The bullet meant for Hadiya had struck her instead.

A noise behind her made her realize she wasn't as alone as she thought she had been. Turning sharply, and nearly collapsing from the pain the movement caused, she caught sight of Hadiya.

"You are wounded," the red-haired woman said.

"No kidding, genius," Zelda snapped back, pressing her hand back against the wound to slow the bleeding.

"I can help."

"I'm good, but thanks."

"You are not!" Hadiya marched forward and gripped the woman by her arm, helping to hold her up. "Let me take you to Arlene, at least."

"You know- ...Of _course_ you know Arlene. Your father visits her all the time. What the hell is that woman's problem? She never even _mentioned_ you."

"Come."

Zelda wanted to protest, to say she could take care of herself and didn't need the help of a Gerudo, but when Hadiya started to pull her away from the wall all of the Hylian's adrenaline finally wore off and she found herself slipping into unconsciousness.

_"Damn it... of all the lousy timings..."_

* * *

Hadiya easily caught the older woman when her face suddenly paled and her legs gave out on her. With a sigh that wasn't the least bit alarmed, the Gerudo slung the Hylian over her shoulder and set off. She wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing Arlene again, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. There was really no one else she could trust with Zelda's safety. With a grimace she thought back to the first - and what she had hoped would be the last - time she had met with the old woman, so many years ago.

_"Why do I have to go?" Hadiya asked, trying to keep the childish whine out of her voice. She knew her father wouldn't approve of such a thing._

_"Come now, Hadiya, Arlene is a good friend of the family! We shouldn't let our friends linger on in empty houses by themselves, now should we?"_

_Hadiya gazed up at her tall father; she was forced to crane her neck so she was nearly looking straight up in order to spot the man's chiseled face. "I guess."_

_"Don't guess, Hadiya. Royalty never guesses," her father snapped in a disapproving tone._

_"Sorry," Hadiya muttered quietly, quiet enough that he wouldn't hear. Her father didn't approve much of apologies, either, but she felt like she should be anyway._

_Soon they were passing through the Hylian district, and the stink had the young girl wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Why do they live like that?" Hadiya asked in horror as she pressed a hand over nearly her entire face in an effort to block out the smells._

_"Because they are lazy and refuse to try and better themselves. Behold the true nature of a Hylian, Hadiya."_

_All around them Hylians were peering out fearfully from windows, curious to see their king yet too afraid to be seen by him. She felt her own emotions beginning to match the ones she saw on the people's faces. Her father really was a powerful man, and could have anyone living the exact way he wanted to. Dully she wondered if her father would ever grow tired of her, and send her out here to live with these sad, pathetic souls. Just as numbly she wondered if maybe she would be happier here, in this squalor, than back at the comfort of the palace._

_"Arlene!" Ganondorf called out as they stepped into the register. The receptionist didn't make eye contact with anyone in the room as she quickly pulled back the large curtain to reveal a door._

_"Stay here," Ganondorf ordered his entourage of guards before walking through the door; Hadiya followed close at his heels and quickly spotted a very old woman sitting in a chair with a book comfortably placed at her lap. Hadiya's eyes widened at the sight of the book; it was illegal for a Hylian to read. She looked quickly to her father, to see what he was going to do, but he didn't even seem to notice. She felt confused at that. She had watched several executions of Hylians committing such a crime with even less evidence to their guilt than this woman had._

_"Ganondorf," the old woman said shortly. "What brings you here?"_

_"I've come with my daughter," Ganondorf said proudly. When he noticed the confused expression on the older woman's face he gave an annoyed sigh. "Stop hiding," he said impatiently before quickly moving to the side. Hadiya was no longer safe behind her father's large figure, and was instantly caught up in the old woman's gaze._

_"Hello there, little one," Arlene said not unkindly, and it was such a change of tone from how she had greeted her father that Hadiya felt another wave of confusion. Was she supposed to like this person or not?_

_"Hello," Hadiya replied._

_"I've also come to let you know I'm going to be closing down some more shops today," Ganondorf said casually as he took a seat. Hadiya remained standing, just behind her father's chair where only her head and part of her shoulders poked out to spy on the two adults._

_"Of course you are," Arlene said tiredly. "Can't have too many Hylians making money, now can we?"_

_"I'm glad you understand. Besides, these ones are suspected of helping the rebellion."_

_Hadiya let the conversation turn to dull background noise in her ears as she examined the room. Most of it was blue, and she found she rather liked the color. In fact, the whole room seemed rather comforting._

_There was, however, one thing that was nagging at her. If Ganondorf knew where Arlene lived, why bother trying to hide behind the large curtain? Was she hiding from the rebellion? That would make sense, though something told her that wasn't it at all. That something wasn't her own thoughts either, but a quiet voice whispering into her ear; it was a voice she had gotten quite used to, and even welcomed at times. She carefully stuck her hand into her cloak's pocket and fidgeted with the whispering object, grateful that even this close to her father he couldn't hear it._

_A knock on the door had Ganondorf standing again. He spoke in hushed tones to one of his guards that had appeared at the door and then turned back to face Arlene and Hadiya. "Hadiya, wait here."_

_"But-"_

_"I'll be back in less than a minute."_

_Hadiya turned away and listened as the door closed behind her father._

_"Would you like some cake?" Arlene offered._

_"No."_

_Arlene hummed and turned back to her book._

"She's not hiding from the Gerudo,"_ that quiet voice whispered to her._

_"Then who?" Hadiya whispered back._

_"Did you say something, dear?" Arlene asked._

_"No."_

_The whisper continued. _"From the Hylians. From her people. She did something unforgivable in her eyes."_ The voice fell silent, as if waiting for Hadiya to ask another question. It hummed contentedly for a while, continuing only after a long time of silence had passed. _"She's isolated herself because she feels ashamed."

_Hadiya suddenly felt a pang of empathy with the old woman in front of her. She could understand that emotion well. Ever so cautiously she slipped around the chair her father had previously occupied and carefully sat down on the deep cushion._

"She's ashamed, because she doomed her own people to this life,"_ the voice continued, and Hadiya figured out the rest for herself. Any connection she had felt with this Hylian was quickly gone, torn away just as quickly as it had formed._

_Arlene looked up again and frowned. "Are you alright, dear? Your hands are shaking."_

_Hadiya balled them into fists. "Why?"_

_"Why what?"_

_"Why would you do that? Why would you free my father from his seal?"_

_"Well it's not like it was done on purpose," Arlene snapped, the abruptness of the accusation scaring away any thoughts on how such a small girl suddenly knew this. "Why are you so upset? You should be happy. If it hadn't happened you wouldn't have ever been born, girly."_

_Hadiya glared at the woman. "I know," she hissed out. The idea of that, of having never been born, sounded so heavenly that she nearly burst into tears. The whispering voice started to hum again, in an attempt at comfort, but she ignored it. Her mind was too full of the possibilities such a reality held for her; or, rather, the lack of possibilities. She would never have had to deal with the disappointed glares, the constant lectures on what she did wrong and never on what she did right. She would never have had to feel the pain of watching the other children her age play right under her window, watching but never joining, and never, ever invited. She would never have had to feel so utterly alone. As for her mother... oh her mother. She would still be alive. But that reality had been crushed the moment this old woman had freed her father, and the thought of being so close yet so far to it felt so unfairly cruel to the six year old's mind that she very nearly took one of her daggers and stabbed it into the Hylian. Because maybe if Arlene died, everything could go back to how she felt it should have been. Her father had had her kill people before, it was easy. Very easy._

_But before she could, Ganondorf suddenly burst back into the room. "Hadiya, come. We need to leave. There's been sightings of rebels near here."_

_"Coming, Father," Hadiya said, snapping to her feet as if something had bitten her._

_"So? How do you like our friend?" Ganondorf asked as the young girl marched across the room towards him. "Want to visit again sometime?"_

_"No. I hate having friends."_

_Ganondorf laughed out loud at that, and it was probably the first time she ever heard any sense of approval in his voice._

* * *

Zelda awoke to the familiar blue shades of Arlene's room. Sitting up sharply from the couch she was resting on, she bit back the whimper that threatened to escape her when the wound in her side protested the movement.

"Welcome back," Arlene greeted her, sitting across from her in her usual chair. She looked more tired than usual, and the smile on her face didn't quite reach her eyes. Seated next to her was Hadiya, who looked incredibly uncomfortable at being there.

"What's she still doing here?" Zelda asked, nodding towards Hadiya.

Arlene grinned, the level of unease in both woman seemingly unnoticed by her. Or perhaps she was just ignoring it. "I'll leave her to explain that to you. And don't you even dare think of kicking her out; this is my house and I get to pick who stays here." With that said, Arlene stood and left the room. Zelda could hear her muffled voice in a conversation with the receptionist, though what they were saying she couldn't make out. Finally Zelda decided to turn her attention back to Hadiya.

The girl was still sitting, though she seemed nervous about something and was fidgeting with her cloak absentmindedly. "I know that you no longer have the Triforce of Wisdom in you," Hadiya said finally.

"We've been over this already," Zelda said between clenched teeth. "And as odd as it might seem, I actually _don't_ like to be reminded of it."

"How did you lose it?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"I think it happened when you lost your daughter."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Arlene just can't keep her mouth shut, can she. Why the hell would she tell you that?"

"You lost your child," Hadiya repeated. "And then lost yourself to your search for revenge. You forsook wisdom."

"Yes, it's such a tragedy when a people's leader finally decides to try and free them from the man who has oppressed them," Zelda said sarcastically.

Hadiya stood and reached into the pocket of her cloak. "When I was a little girl-"

Zelda groaned. "Please don't tell me your whole life's story."

Hadiya glared at Zelda. "When I was a little girl," she repeated more insistently. Zelda just rolled her eyes and leaned back against her pillow. "I was sitting in my room when a strange thing happened to me. There was a glow, a golden glow, everywhere around me."

Zelda frowned and looked up to watch Hadiya. The girl was pacing the room now.

"Then the most beautiful thing I have ever seen appeared before me. It was a triangle. A golden triangle."

Zelda sat up again. "You... you have it?" she whispered. "A _Gerudo_ has the Triforce of Wisdom?"

"I do not know where it was before it came to me, but... It whispered to me, kept me company, explained things to me I couldn't understand on my own, but I do not _have_ it." Hadiya finally pulled her hand from her pocket, and there, resting on her palm, was a small, golden triangle. "It made itself quite clear that I would never get to keep it for forever. I have only been safekeeping it for Princess Zelda. Because, it told me, someday she will want it back. And then, just today, I discovered Zelda was you."

Zelda stared with wide eyes as Hadiya crossed the room towards her. Then the girl was right next to her, her arm outstretched and offering the triangle to the Hylian.

Cautiously, hesitantly, Zelda reached out a shaking hand. Just before she touched it she pulled back. "What if it still rejects me?" she whispered.

"Then you can just hold onto it until it accepts you again, and you it," Hadiya said, just as quietly.

Zelda looked up, away from the Triforce and into Hadiya's eyes. The specks of red in them were obvious against their golden backdrop, and Zelda found herself wondering how this little thing had managed to keep such a precious object hidden away from her own father all these years. One single touch from him, even an accidental brushing against, might have led him to discovering it if he had been focused in the right way. She reached out again and grabbed the Triangle, clutching it tightly in her fist. Nothing happened.

A tear rolled down Zelda's face. "It still chooses to abandon me."

Hadiya stood with a regretful sigh. "It will accept you someday."

Zelda watched as Hadiya started to head towards the door. "How do you know?"

The Gerudo stopped, and without turning around she gave an answer. "Because it told me so."

Hadiya left, and Zelda opened her fist, gazing down at the Triforce of Wisdom. "When?"

The Triforce remained silent.

Zelda continued to stare at it, willing it to answer her question, when Arlene returned. "I've managed to make contact with most of the remaining rebellion," she reported.

Zelda closed her eyes with a sigh, letting her hand close around the Triforce again. "That's good."

"I've also managed to collect these two incompetent morons."

Zelda opened her eyes again to see Sera and Orca shuffling inside the room nervously.

"I didn't know this was here!" Sera exclaimed.

"You two need to leave the city," Zelda decided almost immediately. "It'll be safer for you."

Sera nodded in agreement. "My daughter's at one of the farms right now. I'm going to head there tomorrow."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at Orca when he refused to meet her eyes. "And you?"

Orca looked up, and she was taken aback by the look in his eyes. Gone was the fear she had seen in him in prison, replaced by a burning eagerness. "I want to join your rebellion."

While Zelda was impressed by his confidence, Sera didn't seem to be. She whacked him across the back of his head with a heavy hand and a huff. "You'll do no such thing!"

"I will! These people have been fighting for our freedom this whole time, and what have I done? I... I left my best friend behind."

Zelda frowned, uncertain on what to say. She felt just as guilty for leaving Link behind as Orca seemed to be feeling.

Orca, however, wasn't at the same loss for words that she was. "I'm going to help you get him back."

Zelda pushed herself to her feet, forcing unsteady limbs to support her, before reaching out to shake the man's hand. "Welcome to the rebellion, Orca."

* * *

Link woke up, and instantly regretted the decision to do so. He was back in his cell, and his wounds in his shoulder and leg had been bandaged, but no one had bothered to give him anything for the pain. After attempting to shift into a more comfortable position, he found his wrists to be in tight manacles that kept his arms pinned together in front of him. The metal was rough, and already beginning to cut into his skin. Link studied them as best he could in the dark and then gave a snort of laughter.

_"Well... this could prove to be a bit problematic."_

Unable to move his arms that much now, his shoulder that had been shot earlier began to quickly protest being stuck in one position for so long. He slammed his head against the hard stone wall, trying to distract himself from the agony that racked through his body.

Now with a headache to add to his list of torments, Link decided it would be a better idea to try and figure out if his plan had worked. His ears twitched as he listened for anything that might give him his answer. Nothing. Nothing, that is, until the door swung open and Ganondorf appeared, his face twisted with fury.

"You planned this whole thing, didn't you!?" the man screamed at him. "You turned my own daughter against me! And now she's left me for you... you... _Hylians_!" The idea obviously bewildered the Gerudo.

Link cracked a smile. There was his answer. "Don't know what you're talking about, Ganondorf."

Ganondorf growled, and suddenly his hand began to crackle with dark magic. Link tensed, but, as always, he could never quite prepare himself for the amount of pain that came from being hit by one of those spells. It wasn't like being hit with a physical object, or shot, or stabbed, all of which he had experienced quite recently. This sort of pain went much deeper than that, sucking the air from his very lungs each time it surged through him and, for a brief moment after, leaving him completely disoriented. Before he could even recover, another hit him, and then another.

_"Today ended up to be a really bad day,"_ Link thought to himself, just before another spell slammed into his chest.

* * *

**So there you go, Sir KaijuKnight, now you know who the "she" is when Arly was talking about someone hating her. Hadi wasn't too happy with her life...**

**Thanks for reading, and I will see you all next week, bright and early on Wednesday! Well, maybe not _that _early... it depends on where you live, I guess. Also depending on where you live, it might not be Wednesday at all! How fun is that!**


	24. Chapter 23: A Change of Plans

**A big thanks to Guest and KaijuKnight for reviewing, and to the new followers and favorite-ers! Y'all are awesome!**

**Guest: What a great question! Unfortunately I can't answer that one, spoilers for the end and all that ;-)  
****And as for your idea, that sounds really cool. It also sounds like you've already put quite a bit of thought into it; maybe _you_ should write it! I bet it'd be awesome!**

**Finally, to everyone reading: I apologize if the last chapter seemed rushed. I'm still trying to figure out how to write action scenes (I've never been all that great at them...), and decided that this time around I would aim for a fast-paced feeling, in the hopes it would add to the suspense, but I don't think it worked the way I wanted it to. If anyone here has any tips or tricks on how to write a good action scene, I would love you even more if you shared them!**

**Now then, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 23

A Change of Plans

Closing the book she had been reading, Zelda focused all her attention on the two Hylian women standing in front of her. Absentmindedly she began to fidget with the thick cord around her neck that held her Triforce piece safely with her. "Well?"

"Just as you thought, ma'am, the tunnels are completely overrun with Gerudo."

Zelda grew thoughtful for a moment before standing up and moving to the book shelves. She walked with only a slight limp now as she tried to avoid moving her side muscles too much; her wound was mostly healed but it was still a bit stiff and uncomfortable. What made it even more uncomfortable was the fact that what remained of her rebellion had been in a state of something akin to limbo as they struggled to recover from losing so many members, and she had yet to work out any solid plans for anything. The added stress of everything that was happening around her wasn't helping her wound to heal at all. Placing her book back in its spot she traced her fingers over the title. _Of Wisdom, Courage, and Power_. She was finally finished with it.

"Then we'll have to find a different place for our base," Zelda said, turning to face the other women. She wished that she could use Arlene's room as her base, but it was far too small and Ganondorf still liked to pay Arlene visits every so often. He liked to remind her that Link was still his prisoner.

It was easy enough to evacuate the few people that were staying there now, herself included, every time they spotted him coming, but if they moved everyone in their receptionist wouldn't be able to get them word nearly early enough for everyone to get out in time. Not to mention there also just wasn't enough room for them all.

"Thank you, good job," she said finally. The two women saluted and left.

From her chair, Arlene gave a tired sigh. "At least you're not planning on trying to take the tunnels back."

Zelda grinned. "Don't think I haven't been considering it."

"Oh don't be a fool, Zelda. Even if you did manage to get them back, Ganondorf will know where to send the rest of his troops, and they outnumber you a bit too much."

Zelda considered reprimanding the older woman for calling her a fool but then thought better of it. The past few weeks had been trying for all of them, but Zelda suspected that Arlene was suffering the most of them all.

"I know," Zelda replied testily. "Which is why I'm putting my efforts into finding something different."

"What about the country side? I hear it's nice this time of year."

Zelda shook her head. "Once we leave the city it'll be hard to get back in. Not to mention, the country is mostly wide open spaces; that makes it sort of hard to hide."

Arlene gave a hum of agreement, but didn't answer with actual words.

Zelda slumped back into her chair. "Ganondorf's increased the number of guards at his palace and outside the Hylian District. The water is being poisoned again." She gave a frustrated sigh and pinched at the bridge of her nose with aging fingers. "I'm getting too old for this. It's as if everything I've done the whole time has gone to nothing."

Arlene leaned forward, and her voice took on a warmer tone. "Don't say that. It hasn't been a waste. You gave your people hope, and you still do. Not to mention that now you know you can trust every member of your rebellion. I'd say that wasn't a waste."

Zelda shrugged. "Perhaps."

A moment of silence fell between them.

"Did you finish it?" Arlene asked.

Zelda knew right away what she was talking about, and she gave a nod.

"What do you think of it?"

The younger woman knew what Arlene wanted to hear, but Zelda just couldn't bring herself to say it; she was too tired to bother saying something she didn't believe. All the same, she decided to try for a diplomatic answer. "That book... it speaks of Link's opinions quite strongly."

Arlene nodded, but then frowned when Zelda didn't say anything else. "_And_?" She gave a frustrated sigh when all Zelda did was stare at her. "For the goddesses' sakes."

"Alright fine," Zelda snapped. "The message was obvious, and I know why you wanted me to read it. I don't agree with it."

"But can't you see? He mixed Hylian and Gerudo culture together so fluidly, so flawlessly, it's as if they belong together! That, Zelda, is what we have to strive for; we can't kill every single Gerudo, and if you try to oppress them the way they have you, you'll turn into a monster. Into something worse than Ganondorf."

Zelda stood swiftly, ignoring the dull throbbing in her side. "I will not allow my people to be considered _equal_ to the Gerudo! As soon as I regain control of my lands, the Gerudo will be banished!"

"And so the cycle will more than likely continue!" Arlene shouted.

"I don't have time for this," Zelda muttered, marching towards the door.

She could feel Arlene's glare on her back until the door closed behind her. The receptionist greeted her with a smile. "Any news I should know about?" Zelda asked her.

"Nope," the woman said casually, filing at her nails. The cat beside her was also content to ignore Zelda as much as possible as it groomed at its own claws.

With a sigh, Zelda started towards the door that led outside. Before she reached it it opened, allowing Orca and Hadiya to step inside. Both were out of breath with smiles on their faces as they finished laughing at some joke Zelda had missed.

"How goes the training?" Zelda asked Orca, ignoring Hadiya's presence. The Gerudo didn't seem to mind as she silently slipped past Zelda and headed straight for Arlene's room.

Orca twirled his wooden training sword around in his hands. "Hadiya is really great at this sword stuff," the man commented. "But I finally got in a hit!"

"Well done," Zelda said with a raised eyebrow. "Keep up this rate of improvement, and you'll be able to help us out by the time you're sixty."

Orca gaped at her. "But I improved!" he finally protested. "Don't be so high strung, I'll get even better."

"You do that. In the mean time, I'd like you to head to where team seven is."

Orca slipped his sword into his belt with a shrug. "What do you want me to do there?"

"I'm collecting ideas. I need to know some good spots for a potential base."

Orca nodded and turned to leave. "Too bad we can't use the school, that place has all sorts of passageways and stuff we could sneak around, and- OW!" Orca screeched as Zelda clamped a hand tightly on his shoulder. Turning, he found both Zelda and the receptionist to be staring at him with slack jaws. "...What?" he asked nervously.

"That's... a good idea," Zelda said, while the receptionist just nodded in silent agreement.

"Really? I mean... of course it is!"

"Inside, now," Zelda ordered, pulling Orca towards Arlene's room.

* * *

Hadiya was sitting next to Arlene and pointing out something in a book the elder was holding when she realized the old woman wasn't really paying much attention to the particular sentences she was trying to highlight. "What is it?" she asked impatiently, feeling uncomfortable under the woman's stare.

"The first time we met you weren't too happy to be with me," Arlene began hesitantly. "But now you don't seem to have a problem working with me and helping me out with this research. What gives?"

Hadiya wasn't certain how to answer. She wasn't even sure she actually _had_ an answer. Link trusted her, _liked_ the old hag even, but was that enough? The more she thought of it the more she realized that that really had been her only reason for starting to forgive Arlene.

_"Why is that?"_ she wondered, at a total loss for proper answers into the workings of her own mind. That fact that her brain seemed to be favoring emotions over logic annoyed her more than anything else, and she found herself so preoccupied with the idea that she never answered Arlene's question. _"Where is the logic in that?"_

She had never missed the Triforce of Wisdom as much as she did at that very moment. It would be able to offer an explanation, she was certain of that. It always had an explanation. For a brief moment she wondered if Zelda would loan it back to her; it wasn't as if she was using it for anything. As she tried to imagine that particular conversation with the Hylian general she very nearly laughed out loud. No, she had lost her whispering guide and was on her own again._  
_

Then Zelda and Orca arrived, interrupting her from her thoughts and bringing her back to the present, where she was still being stared at by Arlene, though the curiosity had gone from the old woman's face and, just before she turned her attention to the new arrivals, Hadiya caught a flicker of concern in those dark eyes.

"What's up, butter cups?" Arlene asked Orca and Zelda casually, closing the book and handing it to Hadiya to put away.

Zelda sat down across from Arlene. "The schools."

"Eh?"

"We use the schools as our base."

Arlene considered this with a frown.

Hadiya retook her seat next to Arlene. "Would that work? It will become obvious to Ganondorf if you kick out all the teachers."

"Yes, it will, but think about it," Zelda said eagerly. "Unlike the tunnels, they only have a few entry points, making them easily defendable. Once we get our hands on them, it will be easy to keep them. Not to mention I have a feeling most of the students there will want to help us. Impal used to keep discouraging me from going after those schools before, and now that we..." She paused, a flicker of sadness flashing across her face. "Now that we know the truth about him it's obvious he had a good reason."

Arlene nodded slowly, and everyone else could see the gears turning in her head. "A good reason..." she repeated thoughtfully.

Hadiya, however, still had doubts. "As you say, the schools are easily defendable. How do you intend to take them?"

Arlene chuckled. "Security is a bit more lax at most of them, ever since Ganondorf stopped visiting. Also, we have contacts on the inside."

Zelda grinned. "Exactly! Your great-grandson is in the boy's worker's school. Sera once mentioned that her daughter has some friends at the girl's and there might be a way for her to get a message to them."

Orca bobbed up and down on the soles of his feet. "That just leaves the scholar's school. But... maybe we don't need to use all of them."

"No, if we take one we take them all," Zelda said roughly. "If we do do this, I'm not leaving anyone out. Plus, that'll help to confuse Ganondorf; if we just take one then things are a little more straight forward for him."

Arlene rolled her eyes. "Always all or nothing with you, isn't it? But you're in luck, we have someone inside the scholar's school as well."

"We do?"

"Sturgeon!" Orca said excitedly at the same time as Arlene.

"Sturgeon's... back at the school?" Zelda asked.

Arlene nodded. "That was the very last thing I asked Link to do. I had a feeling it might come in handy; of course, I didn't realize it would be _this_ handy."

"You released Sturgeon without my permission? Why am I just learning of this now!?"

"Oh stop ruffling your feathers over there, birdy-bird" Arlene said lightly. "Just be glad it worked out."

Eyes narrowed in annoyance, Zelda stood again. "Fine. Let's start getting things organized. Orca, I want you to head to the farm Sera is staying at and see if Beth knows of a way to communicate with her friends."

Orca froze. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Orca," Zelda replied. "Don't tell me you're scared to talk to girls."

A pout began to form on the man's face. "Not all girls, just this one," he grumbled.

"As soon as you know what she can do, report back here for further instructions. Arlene, I'll let you handle things with your grandson at his school."

Arlene dipped her head. "I'll see to it."

"And I'll get Sturgeon's attention. I'm assuming you set up some way to talk to him?"

The hopeful smile that had been growing on Arlene's face suddenly disappeared. "...Eh?"

Zelda closed her eyes and pinched at the bridge of her nose. "Never mind. I'll figure something out."

* * *

Their plan was a fairly simple one, but despite that it had taken a few days to get everyone on the same page. It had been easy for Zelda to relay what she wanted to Sturgeon, as apparently he had been given garden duty at the school as punishment for taking a vacation without telling anyone about it. Beth had also managed to get ahold of some of her friends; the girl wasn't particularly stealthy about it, as she had grabbed her friends' attention by simply throwing some rocks at the dormitory window, but it had worked. Zelda hadn't been certain whether to trust the girl - not because she mistrusted her loyalties, but because she just didn't seem all that bright - but she had managed to pull through for them. Linebeck, Arlene's grandson, was also prepared with what he had to do.

Days later, the three schools reported back. Linebeck, Beth, and Zelda all returned to Arlene's room with news that they were ready.

"All three schools are ready to open the doors for us when we arrive," Zelda began. She turned to the two other rebel members she had selected to be in charge along with her. "We each get two teams for this," she said. She managed to keep the regret from her voice; there used to be so many of them, enough that they could have each had far more than just two teams. But now...

The two Hylians both nodded, however, accepting the fact that they weren't going to be getting any more people.

Zelda moved her gaze away from them. "Orca, I'm assigning you to team five."

"Where is that team going?" Orca asked hesitantly.

Zelda smiled. "The scholar's school."

Orca gave a relieved nod. "Sounds good," he said, an excited spark lighting up his eyes.

"Once the doors are open, most of the students will have locked themselves in the dormitory. We head there first, before anything else, and we secure that area. Once we're in we cannot fail, or the students will suffer for it. Secure the dormitory, then spread out and take out the headmistress of your school and any teachers. Impata," Zelda looked over at one of her chosen commanders. "The scholar's school has Hylian teachers, but if they try to obstruct you don't hesitate to take them down. They've made their choice and there's nothing you can do about that."

The man nodded. "Don't worry, ma'am, I understand."

"Good. Alright, we all know where we're supposed to be. Let's go."

The room began to clear, but Zelda found her path blocked by Hadiya. "What do you want?"

"I wish to be assigned to a team," the Gerudo replied, as if it the most obvious thing in the world.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "No. We're going to be going after any Gerudo we see. In the heat of things someone might shoot you in friendly fire."

Hadiya tilted her head. "Would you not be happy about that?"

"Quite frankly, _your highness_, I don't trust you."

Arlene snorted from her chair. "Even after everything she's done?"

"She's still a Gerudo. _His_ daughter. My answer is still no. Stay here with Arlene."

Hadiya still didn't move out of Zelda's way, much to the older woman's annoyance. "I must ask you for something. If any Gerudo surrenders during your attack, you must promise to accept the surrender and not hurt them."

Zelda's first thought was to laugh in the girl's face, but then she saw something in her eyes that she easily recognized; a young leader, unsure on how to become the ruler her people deserved but certain on one thing: that she needed to keep them safe.

She nodded, once, and Hadiya smoothly stepped out of her way. Zelda strode out of the room, meeting with her team commanders and Orca outside. "Alright. Let's go get our kids back."

* * *

Ganondorf stood near a wall, leaning his back against the stone casually and crossing his arms while his long cloak draped over him heavily. "You know what really annoys me?" he asked. A twitch from Link, who was collapsed on the ground, was his only indication that the other man was listening. "I just realized where I went wrong with Hadiya. When I tried to kill her, I told her she deserved it, that she didn't deserve a death from anyone else. Such a comment is ridiculous, and I've just realized that right now. What sort of thing is that to say? It gives her completely the wrong message. Making her think she's _entitled_ to things like that... I think that's why she betrayed me."

Link breathed out a raspy laugh. "You don't think... her betraying you... was from you trying to kill her?"

"You're not listening. Making people think they're entitled to things makes them lazy. I was far too easy on her as a child, and an easy life breeds... disloyalty. Because if you've got an easy life you haven't got anything better to do than think about how to rebel against your parents. My childhood was hard. I hated it, not knowing if we were even going to get a meal that day. My mothers and I survived that desert together, with our people, and it was that, that surviving together, that created a special bond. Whether I loved them or not didn't matter; I would never think of betraying my parents." Ganondorf sighed tiredly. "No, I was much too easy on Hadiya. If she had had a harder life, she would have remained loyal."

Link groaned as he shifted, using the wall to help pull himself into a sitting position so he could face Ganondorf. "I think she had a hard enough life living with you."

Ganondorf very nearly rolled his eyes. "You know what your problem is, Link? Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. You never even _try_ to see things from my perspective. You think it's easy raising a daughter? Well it's not! At first it's easy. You give them shiny things and they love you, but then a few years later it's all 'I want friends, but everyone's scared to talk to me because of you' and 'you can't buy my love with jewelry.' She was just determined to blame everything on me."

"Sounds like..." a fit of coughing interrupted Link, but a few minutes later he managed to recover. "Sounds like you were out of your league, Ganondorf."

"Ironic isn't it? I grew up surrounded by women, but I still couldn't raise one. Oh well. At least things are easy now; next time I see her all I have to do is make sure she has a good death."

Link's breath hitched, and he began to slump further against the wall. "You really could do it? Kill her?"

"Of course. It has to be done. It's Gerudo rule. She did betray her king, after all."

"What about... if she were still that little girl?"

Ganondorf's glare deepened, and there was a brief moment of tense silence before he suddenly straightened. "Well," he said abruptly. "As much as I enjoy our conversations and how unenlightening they always are, I have actual work to do. See you tomorrow!"

Link was dragged back into his cell by two other Gerudo as Ganondorf marched out of the room, the heavy doors slamming shut behind him. As soon as he heard the guards leave, Link let himself fall asleep. The monster in his dreams wasn't nearly as bad as the real one.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	25. Chapter 24: Raiding Party

**Ok, so... I couldn't come up with a good title for this, so what do I do? Instead of trying to think up a proper title (thinking is hard!) I just went with an old taunt thingy people could use in the game Age of Empires 2... Raiding Party! A cookie to anyone who knows what the heck I'm talking about :-D**

**A big thanks to fold and Ipo for your wonderful reviews!**

**fold: Not to worry, all but one of your questions will be answered later in the story! The one that won't be answered I'll answer right now! Will the twilight realm be a factor in this story? The answer to that is nope. Sorry! Also, there will be no lemons in this fic, my apologies. I honestly just don't feel comfortable with writing something like that (call me old fashioned if you like, but it's just not my cup of tea)... this fic is rated M, but not _that_ kind of M!**

**Ipo: I promise that everything about Zelda's daughter will be revealed later on!**

**On with the story!**

* * *

Chapter 24

Raiding Party

Night had fallen by the time Zelda and her teams were in position. They crouched below the hill, out of sight of the school's windows until the time to attack arrived. A cool autumn breeze blew past Zelda's face as she kept her head ducked, staring at her watch and wishing it would move faster. Her people were nearby, their outfits blending almost perfectly with the darkness that surrounded them.

Finally the time arrived, and with a barely discernible movement of her hand, Zelda signaled for everyone to start moving forward. They pressed up the hill, their feet interrupting the crickets from their songs as they climbed towards the school.

They reached the large double doors, but as the seconds ticked by they remained shut. Zelda glanced at her watch again, wondering if maybe they were early. They weren't. She looked up, back at the doors that should be opening for them.

"Where the heck is Linebeck?" one of the rebels next to her whispered.

Glancing to her side, Zelda caught movement in one of the windows. "Down!" she hissed.

Everyone quickly ducked so they were below anyone's line of sight. Zelda checked her watch again; they were already a minute over their agreed time.

* * *

Linebeck quickly shut the doors to the dormitory and turned the key, locking the students inside. With a smile on his face, he twirled the key around his finger before stuffing it into his pocket; it hadn't been easy to get that key from the headmistress, but eventually he had managed to steal it right from her pocket. Silently he slipped down the hall, headed straight towards the large double doors. Behind him he could hear the voices of the students, muffled from the doors but still clearly excited. Some knew what was going on, and he knew that by the time he reached the Main Hall doors the ones who didn't would.

As he crept past the few teachers that were still milling about, he wished that he hadn't had to lock the students in. He recognized the wisdom in Zelda's orders, to not be able to trust them, as a few tended to be tattle-tails on their fellow students in order to win favors from the teachers; but, he also knew his kids, and he knew they would never betray them over something as important as this. With a wistful sigh he scrambled into the Main Hall. He made it halfway to the doors when the voice of the headmistress forced him to stop.

"You there! Hylian! What are you doing up at this hour?"

Linebeck slowly turned, wondering what he should do. The rebellion would be right outside the doors by now... maybe he should make a run for it? One glance at the headmistress, and at her hand that was resting not so casually on her side pistol, changed his mind. He wondered what she was doing up this late; she was never in the Main Hall at this hour. Maybe she had sensed something? Or maybe Zelda had been right not to trust the students right away. He shook that thought from his head.

"I said," the headmistress began with a scowl, "what are you doing up at this hour?"

Linebeck gestured to the floor and made a sweeping gesture.

"...You're cleaning the floors?" The headmistress gave a small laugh. "You're very dedicated to your job, aren't you?" Suddenly she frowned again. "Where's your broom?"

Linebeck froze. "In... invisible?" he croaked out.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust, the headmistress strode over to him. "You dare mock me, Hylian? Tell me what you're doing here!"

Before Linebeck could even blink, the headmistress had a small knife digging against his side; she didn't put enough pressure to break the skin, but the fact that it was there, requiring just a little more pressure before killing him, made him break into a sweat.

"Well?" the woman hissed at him. "Tell me-" Before she could finish her eyes widened and she gave a gurgled scream.

Linebeck watched with fascination as she collapsed to the ground, a sharp kitchen knife buried into her side. Byrne crouched beside her, his grey-gold eyes watching the blood pool under her with a glare.

"Byrne," Linebeck whispered, tugging the small boy to his feet. He pointed to the dormitory and then gave a half shrug.

Understanding immediately, Byrne gave a shrug of his own and then made a twisting motion with one of his hands.

Linebeck slowly shook his head. The boy had picked the lock to leave the dormitory. Figures. He gave him a pat on his shoulder and then gestured for him to follow as he stepped towards the doors. They swung open, and a group of about twenty Hylians marched inside.

* * *

The moment the doors opened Zelda couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped her. As soon as she set foot inside she was greeted by the beaming face of Linebeck and the suspicious glare of a ten year old little boy. She raised an eyebrow at him but didn't stop moving forward until everyone else was inside. The doors closed behind them, shutting out the moonlight.

With a casual look at the dead body laying on the floor, Zelda turned to Linebeck. "I see you took care of the headmistress for us."

Linebeck grinned and pointed at the small boy, an almost proud expression on his face.

"Really? Well then..." Zelda gestured at one of her men. "Hand the kid a weapon and let's clear out the rest of the Gerudo."

For the first time, Byrne's face lit up into a smile. He gripped the gun handed to him as if he had been holding onto it his entire life, and then eagerly followed Zelda out of the Hall. Linebeck followed, keeping close to Byrne as he clutched a weapon of his own.

They made their way silently down the long hallways, guns held at the ready. The school was eerily silent, and just as Zelda began to get a bad feeling about it several Gerudo charged towards them, bursting into the hallway from a door they had just passed.

Weapons on both sides fired, and the deafening noise of guns going off echoed around them as the smell of gunpowder replaced the musty smell of mildew. All Zelda could focus on was shooting at any Gerudo she saw; all other thoughts abandoned her. They had no cover, and a small part of her registered that fact, but only after she noticed a few of her people fall to the ground without getting up again.

The corner of her eye caught Byrne in a side passage, crouched low and shooting between Linebeck's legs as the older man tried to protect the boy from any stray bullets with his own body as he shot at the enemy himself. A bullet hit the wall right next to her, just inches away from her head. Zelda deftly moved her gun towards where the bullet had came from and fired, the sound of a Gerudo falling rewarding her swift shot.

Then, just as soon as the shooting had started, it stopped. The hallway was filled with dead Gerudo and clouds of smoke from the guns; Zelda noticed with a sharp twinge of regret that there were a few Hylians mixed in with the corpses.

"Spread out, check the other rooms." With a glance towards Linebeck he gave a nod and began to move around, counting the bodies to see if all the teachers were there. Byrne tagged along, his face set in grim determination as he kicked at each Gerudo to make sure they were really dead. Zelda stood not too far off, watching over the two and prepared to shoot if one of the bodies turned out to still be alive.

Linebeck finally turned to Zelda and shook his head.

"How many left?" she asked.

He held up four fingers just as Byrne held up five.

"...Well which is it?"

Linebeck and Byrne glanced at each other, frowned, and then both changed their answers so that Byrne now held up four fingers and Linebeck held up five. As Zelda gave a sigh Byrne began to giggle. Linebeck gave the small boy a playful shove and then shrugged at Zelda.

"Alright, we'll go with five then. Keep your eyes open, everyone; let's keep moving to the dormitory."

"Ma'am?" one of the rebels returned from his search of the rooms.

"What've you got?"

"Three Gerudo in there. They've surrendered."

Zelda raised her eyebrows in surprise and then quickly followed him into a large room. It held some sort of large garden, and the dirt beneath their feet was covered with small mounds to mark where the latest seeds had been planted. With a grimace, Zelda realized that this garden must be where they grew the food for the poison mites.

Finally she turned to see three Gerudo on their knees, hands hanging loosely by their sides. Without even blinking Zelda pulled out her gun and fired at them. Three bullets, one for each, and none missed their targets.

If Hadiya found out she wouldn't be too happy with her, Zelda knew, but what was she supposed to do with prisoners anyway? She didn't have time to worry about them escaping and making trouble. Besides, there would be plenty Gerudo left for Hadiya to rule over if she ever managed to take the throne from her father. Without paying the dead Gerudo any more heed, she signaled to her people to continue on.

Their search through the school continued, but no more Gerudo were found. Forced to assume that they had managed to escape, the rebellion finally let the students out of the dormitory.

Zelda did a quick headcount of how many kids there were as they cautiously crowded into the hallway. "It should be safe in here now, but keep alert and nobody is to walk around here alone. You make sure one of us is with you if you have to go somewhere. Clear?"

She received a few nods in response from the older students, but most just stared at her with wide, confused eyes. "Good. Alright then, I want any windows here boarded up; if you want to help see Linebeck over there and he'll organize you into teams. If you want to go home wait in the dormitory. We'll sort you out as soon as we can." She turned to her rebellion as a murmur of excitement began to spread throughout the students, their faces lighting up with hope. "Let's get a perimeter set up out there, and somebody get some runners out to the other schools. I want news on how things went."

* * *

Link breathed in, but then wished he hadn't. He held his breath for as long as he could before risking in another lungful of air. Again, he wished he hadn't. He knew his ribs weren't broken, but they certainly felt like it.

_"Ok... note to self, don't try to escape again."_

Enough time had passed that he realized no one was going to be coming back for him anytime soon. Ever since then, and since he didn't have to worry about leaving Zelda or anyone else behind, he had come up with increasingly inventive ways to escape. His first attempt hadn't been all that smart, but he had mostly just been testing the waters, so to speak. Granted, charging into Ganondorf the moment the cell door opened had been so cliche it might have actually worked, but the several guards the king kept with him ever since Link had used his Triforce of Courage to keep him frozen for a while quickly put an end to any element of surprise he might have had.

The next few attempts got much more extravagant, from faking that he was dead, to "accidentally" bumping into one of the guards during one of Ganondorf's torture sessions and nabbing one of her daggers. With that dagger he had just made his latest attempt at escape. It had involved quite a bit of finagling with the knife, but eventually he had managed to pick the lock on the door. He had made it all the way out of the prison before the guards managed to stop him. It didn't make him feel any better than he had managed to score a few hits with the tiny dagger against a horde of woman with scimitars, even if Zelda would have probably been proud of him for it. His escape had ended just as all the others: him getting dragged back to his cell, and Ganondorf pelting him with dark magic until he passed out from the pain.

He closed his hands into fists, grimacing at the crusty substance that was still stuck to his skin. It was blood. Gerudo blood, and despite his best efforts he couldn't quite get it all off. It had dried too much already. He could still remember the woman's look of surprise when he dug the dagger into her, just before she fell to the ground lifelessly. He could still remember how easy it had been to actually kill someone. _"Too easy..."_ he thought to himself. _"It shouldn't be _that_ easy. ...I don't think I like what I'm turning into in this place."_

"Link," the voice of Niko hissed at him from behind the door, distracting him from his thoughts. "You still alive?"

Link laughed; he wasn't even sure why, as that hadn't really been all that funny. Plus, laughing hurt more than breathing.

"I'll take that as a yes. I've got you some food."

Link scooted a bit closer to the door, the small movements sending fresh waves of pain through him. There was a scraping noise, and then the small stone the pair had managed to loosen after several week's worth of work came out of the wall. A small slice of bread was slipped through, and then the rock was replaced. "I'll try to get more tomorrow."

"Thanks, buddy," Link whispered, too tired to make the effort that was required for a louder voice.

"Ah, what do we have here?"

Link froze; that hadn't been Niko's voice.

"...Lord Ganondorf," he heard Niko begin hesitantly. "I apologize; I couldn't resist mocking the prisoner for trying to defy you. I-"

"Oh spare me your pathetic drivel."

There was a flash of light so bright it even made it into Link's cell, and then he heard a scream and something slump against his door.

"Take this garbage outside somewhere," Ganondorf said.

As the door to his cell opened, and Link was blinded by the return of the torchlight, a rush of anger so intense that Ganondorf's face became framed in red surged through Link. He saw two Gerudo dragging Niko's body out of the room, and then he saw Ganondorf's face grow closer. He didn't realize he was rushing towards the man until he already had his hands around the man's throat; the metal around his wrists cut even deeper into his skin with all the movement, but he hardly even felt it. All he could focus on was squeezing his enemy's neck as tightly as he could.

With a flick of Ganondorf's wrist, Link was sent flying back into his cell. He slammed into the stone, thick clouds of dry dust flying everywhere and choking at his lungs.

"Who would've thought you had that in you still," Ganondorf said with amusement, one of his hands rubbing at his throat.

"I am going to kill you," Link snarled.

Ganondorf laughed. "You don't even have the Master Sword! Besides, I'll just come back."

"Doesn't matter," Link replied, struggling to hold himself up and his voice holding a dangerous calm. "I'm still going to kill you. And then I'll track down your reincarnation, and kill him, too. I'm going to keep killing you, until the day I die of old age, and then I'll make sure someone else does it for me."

Ganondorf burst into another fit of laughter, but the look in Link's eyes cut him off. He gave another, more hesitant chuckle, and then slammed the door shut.

The next day Link awoke to find his arms had been moved, so that his hands were now shackled together in back of him.

"What's the matter, Ganondorf?" Link shouted to the empty room outside his door. "Scared of me?"

Soon all that could be heard was an almost manic laughter that echoed through the dungeon.

* * *

Orca rushed past the small gathering of students and rebels, charged into the laboratory, and then slid to a stop along the polished floor. He stopped just in front of Sturgeon, who barely looked up as he continued to stir together two different chemicals.

"Sturgeon!" Orca didn't let the fact that his brother seemed busy to stop him from pulling the other man into a hug.

"Orca, you hooligan!" Sturgeon squirmed out of his brother's hug. "If I had dropped those chemicals we'd all be dead right now!"

"That sounds exciting."

"Well... it is, actually." Sturgeon grinned and then lifted his vial to show it off. "I discovered some interesting properties in the plants besides the fact that they serve as good homes for those bugs. See, this mixes some of those properties with-"

"And now it sounds boring. When does it blow up?"

Sturgeon snapped his mouth shut with a click and glared at Orca. "As long as nobody drops it, never." His eyes widened when he saw the glint in Orca's eyes. "Don't even think about it! If you make me drop this the whole building will be obliterated!" He sighed when the excitement still didn't leave his little brother.

Impata strode into the room, looking around at all the lab equipment with wide eyes. "The school's as secure as we're going to get it," the man said, approaching Orca and Sturgeon.

"Oh I beg to differ!" Sturgeon replied smugly, tapping at his vial. "Ever since your general told me about your plan, I've been working on a way to make sure the schools can be protected more easily."

Impata raised an eyebrow. "And you expect that to help us?"

Sensing the other man's doubt, Sturgeon hugged the vial closer to himself protectively. "It's not done yet!" he snapped. "I still have to add a few things to make it crystalize."

"What good will that do? What _is_ it?"

"Once I get it to crystalize, if someone were to break the crystals they would explode! We can put a ring of these things all around the school, like a... a..."

Orca quickly cut in. "Like a moat!"

"Yes!"

Orca and Sturgeon looked at each other before both started to talk at the same time. "A moat of _explosives_!"

"And then," Sturgeon continued. "If someone were to step on them..."

"...Their weight would break them and then kaboom!" Orca finished.

"A very big kaboom!" Sturgeon agreed with an excited nod.

"...Ok," Impata said nervously. "You keep working on that, let me know if you need anything."

"I'll need more plants if you expect me to keep a large enough supply of this stuff for reserves, and for the other schools."

"Alright. The general should be sending someone to check up on us soon if everything went well on her end. I'll let her know about..." Impata glanced around at all the chemicals. "About this," he finally finished lamely before practically running out of the room in his haste to leave.

"Need any help?" Orca asked, leaning over his older brother to get a better look at what he was doing.

"You can stop looming over me!" Sturgeon snapped. "You're making me nervous! Go fetch me that burner over there."

Orca swiftly brought the requested item over and then grabbed a nearby stool to sit on. Soon he was spinning about on it, the chair emitting loud squeaks every time he swung around. Sturgeon sighed and began to grumble under his breath.

"Some things never change..." he muttered as he carefully placed his mixture into a small flame. As he watched the liquid begin to bubble he glanced over at Orca, who was looking a bit green from spinning too quickly. Smiling with a fondness he hadn't felt for over twenty years, Sturgeon quickly went back to his work.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great weekend!**


	26. Chapter 25: An Archaeological Expedition

**A big thanks to gman and Nabooru'sapprentice for reviewing! It really makes my day to see I have reviews, so thanks!**

**And now... on with the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 25

An Archaeological Expedition

When Link awoke, he was no longer in his cell. A dim light was hitting his face from somewhere, though as his eyes roamed about the large hospital room he found himself in he couldn't spot any light bulbs or other sources of light anywhere. The light was just _there_.

"Hiya, Link!" the voice of Orca drifted over to him.

Link quickly looked to his side and noticed the man sitting on a chair by his bed. When had he gotten there? "Geez, Orca, you trying to give me a heart attack?" Link asked as he sat up, letting the thin sheets fall off of him.

"How you feeling?"

"Fine." Link frowned. "Great, actually." He rolled his shoulder and found the movement to be completely painless. Tugging at his shirt, he saw that there was no sign that he had once been shot there. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"...How did I get here?"

"Oh. That's a boring story. You know what's a better story?"

Link looked back to his friend and noticed he was staring at him expectantly. "What?"

"How you and Zelda met! Remember?"

Once again, Link frowned. "Are you... ok? You're acting kind of funny."

Orca laughed, but it wasn't quite _his_ laugh. "I'm fine, man. You're too high strung."

It certainly sounded like Orca; the right words were all there, and all his little ways of moving, but the voice was different somehow. It lacked... _something_, though Link couldn't place what. He started to search the room again. There were several rows of other beds around him, but they were all empty. Letting his eyes trail up one of the rows of empty beds, he observed that the room continued to keep stretching out, almost as if it went on forever. He couldn't see the far wall at all, just more and more beds that faded into the distance.

"Hey," Orca said impatiently, and his fingers were suddenly snapping themselves under Link's nose.

"What?" Link asked impatiently, looking back to his friend.

"How did you meet Zelda? Did you know it was her right away, or did she give you a fake name?"

"I... what? Where are we?"

"The hospital," Orca said with a roll of his eyes, gesturing around the room.

"It's... it's over? I'm out?" Link asked quietly, barely daring to believe it.

"Yeah, man. You're ok now."

Link looked back down the rows of beds again, and noticed that the room had shrunken immensely since his last examination of it. The far wall was now visible, and there weren't nearly as many beds as before. There were even a few ceiling lights now, swinging above him as if they had always been there.

Link carefully slipped his legs off of the bed, letting them hang over the side as he faced the room. "There's something weird going on here."

"Hey!" Orca pressed, even more impatiently than before. "I asked you a question, remember?"

Twisting around to face his friend, he tried to recall what the question had been. His mind felt fuzzy, and he found himself wondering what sort of drugs the hospital had given him to make him feel so off.

"Don't you want to tell your buddy about your adventures with Zelda?"

Link frowned. Did he? Why not? Orca was his friend, right? But something wasn't right. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. "I think we should get out of here," Link said quietly, sliding off of the bed so his bare feet landed on the cold floor. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the leg that had been shot along with his shoulder was just as pain free.

"Nah," Orca said with a wave of his hand. "It's fine here."

"But..." Link nervously scratched at the back of his left hand, which had begun to itch in a rather irritating way. His scratchings didn't alleviate anything, and he finally glanced down to see if there was an IV stuck in it or something. He felt his heart skip a beat. The symbol of the Triforce was gone.

"Where is it?" Link asked breathlessly, his pupils contracting.

"You gave it up, buddy," Orca said carelessly. "To Ganondorf. Remember?"

Link was shaking his head repeatedly. "No. No, I didn't." He looked back up at Orca with a pleading expression. "I didn't!"

Orca stood, his face twisted with a sneer. "Oh but you did. And now everyone you care for is dying. There's only one way to save them!" His entire form suddenly changed; Link watched as the face of his friend transformed into that of Ganondorf's. His body began to stretch, growing so tall that he towered over Link and nearly touched the ceiling with the tips of his bright orange hair. "Tell me where Zelda is!"

Then Link was falling. A cold darkness quickly surrounded him, and all he could feel was the air as it rushed past him. It was rushing past him far too quickly. It slapped against his face before moving on, and he felt that he didn't have any time at all to pull even a single bit of it into his quickly starving lungs.

Finally the darkness disappeared, and Link found himself lying in a shallow pool of icy water. He yanked in a lungful of air in a painful gasp, sitting up at the same time to get away from the freezing water.

"Damn," a woman's voice grumbled from behind him. "It must be the Triforce helping him to resist."

"_What_," Link coughed out; he tried to climb out of the tub he was in, but the walls were a slippery metal and his hands were still stuck behind him. His damp clothes clutched at him tightly, making him feel heavier than he actually was, and his panicked attempt to move out of the water ended in failure.

"Get him out," the woman's voice continued.

Two pairs of darkly tanned hands reached down, grabbed his arms, and pulled him out. He was soon standing back on dry ground, stuck between two Gerudo and shivering as air just as cold as the water surrounded him; water dripped from his hair and clothes, leaving a shallow puddle that soaked into his already flooded boots.

"Take him back to his cell for now," another Gerudo said, stepping in front of Link and shining a bright light into his eyes.

"What was that?!" Link shouted at her, bucking his head away from the light.

The Gerudo flicked off the light and waved at the other two Gerudo, telling them without any words to take him away. "We'll try this again later," she said, just as Link was dragged from the small room.

* * *

As soon as morning broke, the rebellion let out a collective sigh. They had survived the night, and now that there was more light it was easier to keep a lookout. Zelda stood on the roof along with Linebeck and a few other Hylians, gazing across the school grounds towards the city.

"Still no sign of movement," a woman next to Zelda said quietly.

"It won't stay like that forever," Zelda replied. "But Impata should be here soon with those explosives he told us about, and then we'll have a more secure perimeter and a better chance at holding this place. I also want some of those crystals on the roof. If they try to land up here I want something to slow them down, and the damage done to the roof won't be too bad."

"Look, over there!" the woman suddenly said, pointing towards the road.

Zelda quickly spotted Impata along with a few others, one of whom looked suspiciously like Arlene as the figure hobbled along next to the tall man. Her suspicions were confirmed when Linebeck suddenly clapped his hands together and raced off, quickly disappearing down the stairs.

"Let's go let them in," Zelda said, following Linebeck towards the Main Hall.

Once Zelda entered the large room she discovered that Linebeck had already beaten them to it. The doors lay wide open, allowing Impata, Arlene, and a few other rebels to enter. Hadiya was also there, much to Zelda's annoyance. One glance from Arlene kept her from saying anything to the Gerudo.

"Welcome," Zelda greeted them all instead, nodding at Impata when he showed her a large bag that was strapped over his shoulder. "Take that out back, I have a group waiting for you to lay down the crystals."

"Yes, ma'am."

Arlene approached Zelda, Linebeck gripping her by the arm to help her, a large smile on his face. "I suppose a congratulations are in order, General," Arlene said brightly, a genuine smile on her face for the first time in months.

Hadiya hung back, but her distance didn't keep her from speaking to Zelda. "Any prisoners?"

Zelda shook her head. "No." Ignoring the suspicious glare on the Gerudo's face, Zelda turned back to Arlene. "Now that we have the schools secured, we need to prepare for Ganondorf's counter strike."

"I've brought the records from the register," Arlene replied, handing a thin monitor to Linebeck. "We should be able to identify all the students with it and start sending them all home."

Hadiya tilted her head. "Is that safe?"

Zelda wanted to ask if she actually cared, but she decided to distract herself instead by taking the computer from Linebeck and scrolling through the list of names. "I take it you sent this to the other schools as well?"

"Yes, yes," Arlene said with a wave of her hand. "My receptionist is delivering the others. And yes," Arlene added, turning to look at Hadiya. "It is safe. Relatively speaking, anyway. Ganondorf won't bother with getting the students back until after he's managed to take back the schools."

Zelda frowned. "You talk like it's an inevitability."

Arlene smiled. "Don't mind me dear; I'm too old to tip-toe around things and try to find the right words to describe a very possible possibility. He's probably received word by now about your success." A flicker of worry passed over her face. "I hope you're ready."

"We are. We'll hold these buildings."

"You'd better, because we're going to need them."

Zelda frowned. "Why do I get the feeling you want these buildings for more than just a base?"

Arlene chuckled and she reached up to pat Zelda on the cheek, as if she were a well behaved child and not the middle aged leader of the rebellion. "You know me so well, dear. ...I think you've been spending too much time with me."

"What is it?" Zelda asked wearily.

Arlene glanced at Hadiya, and the two seemed to suddenly be in their own private conversation. Finally the older woman turned back to Zelda. "There's a reason Ganondorf had these schools built where they were."

Zelda gestured impatiently when she didn't continue.

Once again Arlene glanced over at Hadiya and then back to Zelda. "Follow us. It'll be easier to just show you."

Pushing away her feelings of impatience for the time being, Zelda quickly followed after Arlene, Linebeck, and Hadiya. They went straight for the headmistress' room, and as soon as they were in, Hadiya quickly closed the doors. Zelda was instantly reminded of Ganondorf's throne room as she looked about; the same decadence covered the room, with jewels sparkling from the walls and the floor so well polished she could easily see her reflection.

Arlene cleared her throat, bringing Zelda's attention back to her. "You are aware of the Spirit Tracks, are you not?"

Zelda glanced over at Hadiya and Linebeck, who were digging around in the headmistress' desk. "Of course," she said finally. "Train tracks. They used to be New Hyrule's main mode of transportation."

"Yes. When Ganondorf took over he had them buried, and most of the stations were destroyed along with the trains they housed."

"To keep us from escaping," Zelda added bitterly.

Arlene nodded.

"So what?"

Arlene seated herself on the edge of the large canopy bed, letting herself bounce around on the mattress for a while like a child. "So, recently Hadiya and I have discovered the existence of one of the old train stations. Four, to be exact."

Zelda glanced back at Hadiya. "Wait... are you saying this school is hiding one of the stations?"

"We're right above it," Arlene said with an excited spark in her eyes.

"How did you..." Zelda struggled to sort through all the questions rushing through her mind, organizing them by level of importance; right then, knowing _how_ the two women had found all this out ended up very low on that list. "Why would Ganondorf leave some intact?"

Arlene shrugged. "Who knows! Just in case?"

"You said there were four still in existence..."

"That we know of, at any rate. This one," Arlene said, gesturing towards her feet. "Another underneath the girl's worker's school, and yet another hidden under the scholar's school."

"And the fourth?"

"Right where Hyrule Castle used to be."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You're telling me... there's a train station right underneath Ganondorf's palace?"

"Yes. And if we're very lucky, and I'm feeling very lucky today, the tracks between these four stations will still be intact. We might just be able to use them to get back inside that palace."

Zelda nodded in amazement. "I'm shocked the Gerudo didn't have more security here. Then again, I suppose they never expected us to try and attack them here with so few numbers."

"They weren't counting on good old fashioned Hylian ingenuity," Arlene said, smiling proudly over at her grandson.

"Here!" Hadiya suddenly said, pulling from one of the desk drawers a small remote control. Her face flushing with excitement, the Gerudo quickly pressed one of the buttons. Instantly a small piece of the floor just under Zelda's feet slid to the side. With an annoyed shout, Zelda disappeared into the hole below her. Hadiya looked at Arlene with wide eyes. "Oops."

"You alright down there, dear?" Arlene shouted down the hole, straining her eyes into the darkness.

"There's something wet down here," Zelda shouted back up. "I think it's... not water. It smells awful, and it's slimy."

"Most likely it is some type of mold," Hadiya called down.

"Yes," Zelda snapped, "thank you, Hadiya." There was a moment of silence. "Is anyone going to send me a light down here!?"

* * *

A few minutes later found the hole in the floor with a ladder protruding from it, and bright lights shining up from it. Through the hole was a long, wide passageway underground; the walls and roof were mostly stone, with dirt and roots breaking through in some places and pieces of crumbled stone lying on the dirt floor. Along the very center of this passageway, and stretching off in both directions before disappearing in the darkness, was a set of train tracks.

"No train," Hadiya said with disappointment as she climbed down the ladder. Linebeck and Arlene were already down there, along with Zelda, who was toweling off her damp hair with a disgruntled expression on her face. Hadiya quickly leaped from the last rung of the ladder, easily avoiding the small, thick looking puddle of bacterial growth beneath her. She suddenly giggled. "You landed in literally the only puddle here."

Zelda glared at Hadiya before turning her back on her to study the tracks. "These walls... When we were digging our own tunnels a few years back, I remember we ran into something like this. Impal said they were the sewers and should be avoided... so did quite a few others."

Arlene sighed. "You were right outside this place, probably."

The general gave an annoyed snort. "Alright, we're going to need some explosives down here, and-"

"Are you insane!?" Arlene snapped. "You put explosives down here, you could collapse the entire tunnel system!"

"Look," Zelda snapped. "We don't even know if this tunnel is even still connected to the other stations! And I am not going to risk the lives of my people over the very slim chance that they are."

"General," Arlene growled. "This could very well be our only chance to get Link out of there."

"Yes, I realize that. I also realize this could probably be our best shot at getting inside Ganondorf's palace, rescue mission or no. What you don't seem to realize is that Ganondorf knows these places exist, too. You really think he's going to let them go to waste if he thinks we don't know about them?"

Hadiya suddenly stepped into Zelda's line of sight. "We should dig another passage way."

"...What?"

"Dig something small, easy to hide, that goes out a bit and then comes back in a few miles or so down. Then you could just collapse part of this tunnel, while still being able to use it when you need it."

Arlene frowned. "A detour? If we collapse this tunnel we won't be able to get a train through."

Zelda, however, was staring at Hadiya with an expression akin to shock. "No, that's a good idea. There's no train here anyway, and besides, we're used to walking a lot. And if we collapse the tunnel ourselves, Ganondorf will think he doesn't have to worry about us using them." She frowned, as if upset with herself for agreeing with Hadiya. Finally she turned sharply and headed back to the ladder. "Impata!" she shouted up.

"Ma'am?" came Impata's voice from above them.

"Have you finished planting the explosives?"

"We're about halfway through."

"Bring them back in. I want whatever you have left down here."

* * *

Zelda spent the next hour organizing all her teams. Most were tasked with digging, but she also insisted on keeping a few just on standby, incase they were attacked before they were done. Finally she turned to Impata. "I want you to take some of those crystals and someone else down the tunnel, far from where we'll be digging our detour's entrance. Collapse it as soon as you think you're far enough away from the school. We don't want it collapsing on top of us."

Impata nodded. "Understood."

"Also, find two others to make sure the other end of the tunnel is collapsed now, just in case Ganondorf knows of a way to sneak around. Sturgeon did give you a way to detonate these things from a distance, right?"

"...Yes."

"Well?"

"He told us to throw some rocks at them, ma'am."

Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine. As long as it works. Get to it."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Zelda nodded and then left to join the digging teams. By the time she arrived back in the tunnel she found most were already at work. She was surprised to see that Arlene was also there, a shovel in hand as she helped Linebeck and Hadiya to clear out the piles of stone that the diggers were chipping away at.

"Should you be working this hard?" Zelda asked, observing the thin sheen of sweat that already covered the older woman's face.

"Back off, dear," Arlene replied lightly. "I haven't felt this great in years!" She looked at Zelda, her eyes alight with a happiness that Zelda had never seen in her before. "Digging around old stuff is what I do."

Zelda smiled - sometimes she forgot that Arlene had once been something other than a sage, an archaeologist, from an entire family of people who explored ancient sights - and then grabbed a pickax of her own. Soon the tunnel was filled with the methodical ringing of metal hitting stone. A few minutes later the ground beneath them shook, and a few of their lights fell to their sides before cracking and shutting off. Pausing, Zelda waited a heartbeat before the ground shook again. A small cloud of dust blew past them, stinging at Zelda's eyes.

Hadiya stood next to her. "Now we just have to go around all that rubble those explosions undoubtedly created."

Zelda nodded before swinging her pickax again. For the first time in a long time she began to feel a flicker of hope growing in her. These tunnels may very well be the thing to help them finally end this war. All they had to do was make certain their detour wasn't discovered once it was finished. As her body continued to chip away at the stone walls, Zelda tasked her brain with working on the best way to actually do that.

* * *

Ganondorf reclined into his throne with a contented sigh. The fact that General Impa and her rebellion had managed to take over his schools didn't really bother him; he had already sent several Gerudo to deal with the matter. It wasn't until a large part of his army returned that he started to feel a flicker of doubt.

"What are you doing back so soon?" he asked, noting the thick layer of dust and dirt that covered the heavily armored women.

"Milord, the tunnels you ordered us through... they collapsed before we could get to the schools."

Ganondorf straightened. "What!?"

"I think the rebels discovered them and somehow made them collapse."

He leaned back into his chair, considering this. A smile began to twitch at the corners of his mouth. "So they're now useless to the both of us, General. Very well, have it your way."

"...Milord? What are your orders? The rest of the troops will be arriving at the schools soon, they will be expecting us to already be there..."

Ganondorf sighed; he had forgotten his army was still there. "We'll just do this the old fashioned way then. I want you to take some vans and land on the rooftops. And if you see General Impa, make sure to take her alive. I still suspect she knows where Zelda is."

"Yes, sir!"

"Oh, and one more thing, Captain Lucine."

One of the Gerudo, an older woman with hints of grey in her otherwise dark red hair, turned back sharply. "Yes?"

"Make sure the first few vans that land are empty except for the drivers. Our friends will most likely have something prepared for such an attack, so fish whatever their plan is out first, and then send in the real troops. Also, if you see my daughter there make sure you kill her."

The woman looked taken aback for only a moment before she quickly recovered, schooling her features in a perfect expression of neutrality. "Yes, sir!"

"Impal!" Ganondorf shouted as the last few Gerudo troops marched out of the room.

The Sheikah quietly appeared at his side. "Sire?"

"Increase security at our train station."

"But... the tunnels can't be used anymore, sire, and-"

"Silence, fool! She's up to something, I can feel it. That general doesn't have my level of intelligence, but she's not an idiot; she would never give up such an obvious strategic advantage. No, this is more than just the stalemate it appears to be, now do as I say!"

"Immediately, sire."

Ganondorf scowled at the man's back as he retreated from the room. "And somebody bring me some pie!" he finally shouted.

* * *

**Mmmm, pie.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	27. Chapter 26: The Choice

**Wow, so many reviews for the last chapter! Thanks so much to Riegne, man face, Guest, and Nabooru'sapprentice! You guys rock!**

**Riegne: Oooo, a smartphone, that sounds nifty! Also, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! The whole concept I'm doing with Zelda is all new for me as well, and I'm thrilled other people are finding it as interesting as I am.**

**man face: Ha! Ganondorf was taken down by his love for pie... such a tragic story :-D**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: Ugh, don't even get me started on chess. My oldest brother is awesome at it, and I lose every single game... it's very depressing, lol. I'd accuse him of cheating, but I really can't see any way to cheat in chess -_-**

* * *

Chapter 26

The Choice

It was the sudden shaking that first alerted them to the fact that something was wrong. Dust fell over their heads, and everyone froze; pickaxes were stopped in mid-swing, and a few of the people holding them nearly collapsed as the entire area shook angrily.

Arlene looked around as the shaking slowly lessened. "What was that?"

Zelda and Hadiya looked at each other with matching expressions. "The perimeter!"

Nearly everyone scrambled up the ladder, leaving Arlene, Linebeck, Hadiya, and just a few others behind to continue digging. Once out of the headmistress' room, Zelda was surrounded by Hylians racing towards either the roof or the Main Hall.

"What's going on?" Zelda demanded of the first rebel she could get a good grip on.

"Ma'am!" the man instantly snapped to attention. "Explosives around the school have gone off; the Gerudo are trying to attack."

Another rebel came racing up to them. "We've got armored vans incoming towards the roof!"

"Alright!" Zelda shouted over the other voices that were shouting at one another. The hallway instantly fell silent. "Let's not get too close to the roof. Once those vans land there's going to be quite the explosion. I want five teams in the main hall right now; set up some cover and prepare for them to storm the doors. Two teams take the other rooms, keep close to the windows and shoot anything you see moving. You, over there! Make sure the students are back in the dormitory! The rest of you are with me."

Zelda strode down the hallway, towards the stairs that led to the roof. All around her others were rushing around, getting to where they needed to be as quickly as possible while not getting in anyone else's way; it was organized chaos. Soon they were just under the stairs. Above them lay the doors that opened onto the roof.

It didn't take Zelda long to organize her own team. She put most in a room across from the stairs, taking cover behind the partially opened doors and preparing their weapons. A few others lined the hallway, just out of sight of the roof's door above them, but in spots that would allow them to take out anyone the moment they entered the hall. Zelda herself was positioned right next to the stairs, her body pressed tightly against the wall and ready to spring around the instant she heard the doors open. Across from her, at the other side of the stairs, was another Hylian in a similar position as her. The man nodded at her, and Zelda turned her attention back to listening to what was happening above them. They were as ready as they would ever be.

An explosion from above shook the entire building. The lights hanging above them swung dangerously, casting eery shadows across the floor. Just before the building could settle again, another explosion hit.

"That should be all of them," Zelda said quietly. "If we're lucky that took out all the vans."

They waited for a long moment, barely moving except to breath. Finally Zelda motioned to the man across from her, and he and a woman behind him cautiously made their way up the steps. As they reached out to open the doors, the thick wood suddenly swung inwards, slamming into them and pushing them back down. They tumbled back to the floor in a tangled heap, followed closely by several Gerudo guards.

"Open fire!" Zelda shouted, ducking out from her cover just long enough to send out a few shots. The two rebels that had fallen down the stairs quickly scrambled away, keeping their heads down as bullets flew over them from nearly every direction. Once again the smell of gunpowder filled the school and the deafening sounds of gunshots rang out, filling the halls.

A short distance off, Zelda could hear the sounds of the doors in the Main Hall being forced open. The sound of even more guns being fired quickly joined in.

* * *

Hadiya was no longer helping to dig; she sat cross legged next to the ladder, her head tilted as she listened to the sounds of fighting above her. A few other rebels had also stopped digging and were positioned around the ladder, guns at the ready incase some of the Gerudo made it through.

Arlene carefully set her shovel down and sat down across from Arlene. "If you want to help you should."

"I will not attack my people," Hadiya said sharply.

"I know. But you don't have to fight to win a battle."

Hadiya looked at Arlene with confusion in her eyes.

"Sometimes all it takes is the right words."

Hadiya chewed on her lower lip. "They will not listen to me. I have tried before, and they only responded by trying to kill me."

Arlene suddenly reached over and slapped the young girl across the face.

"How dare you!?" Hadiya shouted, leaping to her feet.

"Do you want to take your father's place or not?" Arlene asked sharply, still remaining seated. Linebeck slowly crept forward, his expression nervous as he remained out of Hadiya's sight and prepared to step in if she did anything threatening to his grandmother.

"As long as my father is still alive they will not listen to me!" Hadiya replied angrily.

"You really think they're going to respect a leader who hides away until her competition is dead? Look at Zelda! She's been fighting for her people almost her whole life, and sure, she has her moments of bad decisions, but they all respect her more than anything nonetheless. _That_ is a leader. Someone who risks everything for them, who always fights alongside them. If you die trying then so be it, but if you don't try you'll never be their queen. Not really."

Hadiya took in a deep breath and looked at the ladder. The sounds of fighting were louder now.

Arlene stood and placed a gentle hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Sometimes all it takes is some really stupid courage."

Hadiya looked back at Arlene, tears pricking at the edges of her eyes. "Then so be it," she whispered.

Arlene nodded at her encouragingly, and then Hadiya was gone; she swung up the ladder so quickly that Arlene barely blinked before she was out of sight.

* * *

Zelda had lost only a few to the large group of dead or wounded Gerudo that were collecting along the stairs. The corpses and injured bodies were also acting as a protective barrier for the Hylians, slowing down the surviving Gerudo as they tried to scramble over their fallen comrades as quickly as possible. Still, there were at least five for every Gerudo they managed to take down. Zelda had no idea how so many had managed to survive the initial explosions, but eventually her people were going to run out of ammo. At the other end of the school she could still hear the fighting in the Main Hall; she prayed they would be able to clear it out soon, so they could bring reinforcements to help with the stairs.

As Zelda ducked back into her cover, she caught sight of Hadiya. The girl was storming down the hall, her eyes set in determination. She brushed past Zelda without a word, and before the Hylian general could even try to stop the Gerudo princess she had stepped onto the first stair.

"Cease fire!" Hadiya shouted up.

Zelda quickly held up a hand to the rebels in the room across the stairs, telling them to hold for now; Hadiya was blocking most of their views anyway. Everything became unnaturally still as both sides tried to figure out what to do with this sudden, new event.

Encouraged by the fact that no one was currently shooting at her, Hadiya climbed up another step. "You all know who I am. Now lower your weapons. That is an order from the daughter of your king."

A moment of silence passed before one of the Gerudo stepped forward, freeing her head from its helmet. "Ma'am..." the woman began uncertainly.

Hadiya's face lit up with recognition. "Captain? Captain Lucine?"

"With all due respect, milady, I have orders from Lord Ganondorf himself to kill you."

Hadiya refused to let her shoulder's slump from the defeat she felt. "Then carry on, Captain."

The Gerudo raised her gun, and Zelda, who was peeking around the corner, raised her own. She didn't have a clear shot, as Hadiya was blocking the way, but once the girl was shot she would fall, and then Zelda could easily take out what appeared to be the army's commanding officer. Maybe that would force a retreat.

A long minute passed, and everyone remained frozen in place.

"Why are you here?" the Gerudo captain finally asked, her voice sounding strained.

"Because," Hadiya quickly jumped onto the chance the other woman offered her. "My father is not a good king. He rules through cruelty, and keeps his subjects in line with fear. He cannot be allowed to continue." There was another moment of silence before Hadiya continued. "For years you have been captain of my father's guards, and I always believed you were good at your job. Not because you always followed orders, but because sometimes, every once in a while, I could tell you hated your orders. And now, I am very sorry to do this to you, Captain Lucine, but you must make a choice."

Hadiya raised her voice so it echoed up the stairs, reaching the ears of every Gerudo still on the roof outside. "All of you must now make a choice. Join me, or join my father. You cannot change your mind once it has been made. Be warned, if you join me and I fail you will most likely lose everything you love."

Zelda tried to maneuver into a better position, trying to catch sight of the captain. "Hadiya," she whispered out in warning. "Not the best line of persuasion there, kid."

Hadiya ignored her. "I cannot promise that I will succeed. My promise to you is that if I do, your mothers, sisters, and daughters will no longer be threatened to ensure your loyalty. You will all be free. So... What will it be? Who do you choose?"

Zelda tightened her grip on her gun. The Gerudo above her remained silent.

* * *

Orca and Sturgeon were standing side by side, partially hidden behind the bookcases that the rebellion had unceremoniously tipped over and dragged to the middle of the room to act as cover. Sturgeon had taken to throwing small handfuls of his explosive crystals around, which seemed to be helping to keep the Gerudo army at bay. Orca eventually abandoned his gun and joined in with Sturgeon's tactics, as it seemed to be more effective... and much more fun. The pair had large grins on their faces as they flung the crystals about the room almost haphazardly, barely taking any time to aim.

The other rebels around them quickly joined in as well, glad to be able to preserve their ammo for as long as possible. Soon the entire room was filled with random explosions; a few even managed to send some of the more aggressive Gerudo flying back out into the hall.

"We're going to run out of this stuff soon!" Sturgeon announced.

Before any one else could respond the Gerudo army suddenly froze. There was a crackling noise coming from the vest pocket of one of the Gerudo, and as the rebellion watched from the safety of their bookcases they saw her retrieve a small, portable communication device.

"...Repeat, cease fire and fall back to the rendezvous point; await further instructions there..." the tinny voice of another Gerudo woman shouted through the speaker.

The Gerudo exchanged confused glances before suddenly disappearing from the rebellion's sight. Flashes of red and black blurred against each other as the army rushed down the hallway.

"Are they..." Orca began. "Are they retreating?"

A few other Hylians cautiously crept towards the doors, their rifles at the ready. They poked their heads out into the hall and looked around before giving the others an all clear signal.

"We won!" Orca cheered.

"Why?" Sturgeon asked curiously as they crawled out from behind the bookcases. "Oh and look at this mess! Where'd those students get to!? They need to clean this up!"

Orca ignored him as he raced towards the nearest window. "Look! They really are leaving!"

Everyone in the room exchanged nervous glances.

"What just happened?" one of the rebels asked. No one else had an answer.

* * *

Hadiya stood proudly next to Captain Lucine as she relayed her orders to the other Gerudo that were attacking the other schools. The rest of the Gerudo army stood awkwardly on the stairs, each looking like they wanted to say something but uncertain on whether they should or not.

After Lucine put away her radio she turned to the army behind her. "Wait with the vans, all of you," she ordered sharply.

She and Hadiya stepped down the stairs while the others quickly headed for the roof. Most seemed relieved that they had been dismissed. The two Gerudo were greeted by the shocked expressions of the Hylian rebellion.

"General," Hadiya began as she looked at Zelda. "I wish to ask you to allow some new recruits into your rebellion."

Slowly, Zelda straightened and put her gun into her belt. "I never thought I'd see something like that," she said quietly, staring with wide eyes at Lucine.

The Gerudo captain met the princess' gaze. "I will not join your rebellion."

Hadiya made a noise of protest, but Lucine continued before she could say anything else. "I agreed to follow _you_, Milady. I won't take orders from a Hylian."

Zelda raised an eyebrow; now_ that_ was what she had been expecting. "Trust me, I don't want this many Gerudo in the same room as me anyway."

Hadiya glared as Zelda and Lucine met each other's stares. Finally she took a step forward, so she was standing directly in front of the Hylian general. "Fine then, we'll leave and deal with Ganondorf on our own."

Zelda snorted. "You can't just leave, that's not how surrendering works. Every Gerudo up there is now my prisoner."

"They did not surrender!" Hadiya protested as Lucine started to reach for her gun. Instantly the other Hylians in the room pointed their own weapons at the Gerudo.

"On the contrary," Zelda said calmly. "They-"

Before Zelda could finish Hadiya leaped forward. She grabbed Zelda's gun from her belt and then skipped back, pointing it directly at the woman's head. "You will let us leave here."

Zelda snarled as Arlene entered the hallway. Instantly the old woman called out in a frustrated voice, "General!"

Zelda's eyes flicked over to Arlene. "She's the one with the gun and you're yelling at _me_?"

"Yes," Arlene answered as she stood by Hadiya's side, calmly stepping into the center of where most of the guns in the room were being pointed. "Because you're being a fool. These people have agreed to help your cause. Use them, don't imprison them! At the very least, you must allow them to leave here. Do not make them into another enemy."

Zelda's eyes glared into Hadiya's. "Fine," she said finally. "I don't have time for this anyway, I need to make sure the other schools survived."

A collective sigh was released by everyone in the room, and every weapon was lowered, albeit some slower than others. With a nod to Arlene, Hadiya strode up the stairs towards the roof, followed closely by Lucine. Just before she disappeared into the bright sunlight outside, Hadiya turned and tossed down the Gerudo's radio towards Arlene. Linebeck's hand reached out from over the elderly woman's head and snatched it from the air.

"Use it," Hadiya called down. "If you need our help."

Arlene raised her hand in farewell, and then Hadiya left. The door closed behind her with a cold thud. Shaking her head, Arlene gestured for Linebeck to follow her from the hallway back to the tunnel. Already Zelda was shouting orders at the other rebels, organizing them into parties so they could start checking on any damage.

"Stubborn fool," Arlene complained as she stormed into the headmistress' room. She paused just before the ladder, listening to the dull clanging of the pickaxes below. "If she keeps this up we'll still be at war even when Ganondorf is dead."

Linebeck fidgeted with the radio nervously.

"Make sure you keep that hidden. The last thing we need is her getting an idea to trick them into some sort of trap."

With a nod Linebeck quickly slipped the device into his pant's pocket.

Arlene sighed and rubbed at her face with both hands. "I'm starting to think that woman will never see the big picture."

She felt her grandson place a hand on her shoulder; looking up at him she met those same dark eyes that her brother had had.

"Time," he said quietly.

A smile creased the old woman's features. "My dear, I think you're becoming wiser than me. Maybe we should start calling you sage?"

Linebeck grinned, and it was a smile so painfully familiar to her that for a moment Arlene was in the past, with her brother, yelling at his ridiculously goofy face for untying her hammock from its posts while she slept.

"Time," she repeated. With a sigh, she climbed down the ladder, letting the sounds of digging fill her mind.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	28. Chapter 27: Divulgence

**Thanks, Guest, for reviewing! Lol, chill pill. Also, I believe I talked about lemons in an earlier chapter's author's notes, but since I have a horrible memory and don't feel like digging through past chapters to find out if I actually did or not, I'll just paraphrase what I'm pretty sure I said already: there won't be any lemon scenes! And no amount of asking, begging, and/or bugging will convince me to change my mind, sorry.**

**Now then, onwards with the story!**

* * *

Chapter 27

Divulgence

Hadiya watched with narrowed eyes as the vans flew off, back towards the city. Not all of her people had left, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed that even one had decided to return to Ganondorf, never mind a full three quarters of the army that she had managed to convince to stop attacking the schools. What remained of her own rebellion were now regrouped just outside the city.

"You did the right thing letting them go," Captain Lucine said quietly, standing beside Hadiya and watching the vans leave as well.

"We shall see," Hadiya replied.

"At least Lord Ganondorf will discover soon about our treason. I can already imagine the look on his face. That's worth something."

Hadiya smiled. It was. She felt a childlike sense of glee at the thought, and realized that this was something she had been waiting for for a long time. She was finally free to show her father how much she detested him. Maybe then, he would finally understand how awful of a parent he really was. Because, she realized, that was all this was really about. It wasn't her concern for her Gerudo sisters per se that was driving her to do this, but her anger towards her father. All she really wanted was to see the look on his face when he finally realized that he had been a horrible parent to her, and that everything bad that was happening to him was _her_ doing.

Hadiya cleared her throat. "We should get moving; we can't stay in one place too long."

"Where to, Milady?"

Hadiya turned to face her second-in-command, as well as the large group of Gerudo woman that was gathered nearby. "I have a mission for us. One of the utmost importance."

Everyone stared at her respectfully, waiting for her to continue.

Hadiya thought back to the many books she and Arlene had read through before the Hylians had taken the schools. Her memories brought her to one book in particular, of a weapon that was perhaps even more powerful than the Master Sword itself. "There is something we have to find."

* * *

"What!?" Ganondorf's angry voice filled nearly the entire palace.

"...Milord," the Gerudo woman in front of him said nervously, kneeling and not even daring to look up at the angry man before her. "Captain Lucine, and about a forth of your forces... left. Sire," she quickly added. She could feel the fury rolling off of her king in waves as he silently processed this information.

"Hadiya," the man finally said, slumping back into his chair. A mixture of pride and hatred floated through the man's eyes. "And why didn't you join them?"

The woman made a noise of surprise. "I would never betray you, sire."

Ganondorf grunted. "Good. I'm promoting you to Captain."

"Th... thank you!"

"Yes, yes, congratulations, and all that. Now, Captain..."

"Yes, sir?"

The man leaned forward before shouting at her. "Gather another army and take back my schools! Aim for the one that holds Impa first. I don't care how long you have to lay siege to that building, I want that woman back here!"

"At once, sire!" the woman said hurriedly before standing and backing out of the room, trying to bow all at once and nearly tripping a few times in her rush to leave while still staying respectful.

Ganondorf remained alone in his throne room for several more minutes, seething in private as he tapped his fingers against his armrests, beating out a rapid, random beat. Finally he stood and marched out of the room. He walked straight towards the dungeons, knowing he wouldn't be able to think straight until he had vented some of his anger. With a signal to the nearby guard, the cell door was opened. Link was still asleep, his face drawn with pain, but Ganondorf didn't wait for him to wake up before slamming a wave of magic straight towards him.

Link awoke with a shout of startled pain. Blinking groggily, he glared up at Ganondorf. "What's your deal, banana peel?" he asked hoarsely.

Ganondorf felt his anger rise. What infuriated him the most was not the boy's taunts, no, those he found rather amusing, as they reminded him of his visits with Arlene - though he would never admit to it. What really infuriated him was the fact that, despite how long he had been in this cell, he _still_ resisted. Still refused to hand over the Triforce of Courage. Still refused to tell him anything about Zelda. Ganondorf let his anger sink into another spell, the air around him crackling with lightning. He lost himself to that pull of magic, finding its familiarity comforting. This power was something that would never abandon him.

* * *

Beth sat on the porch of the farm house, watching the sun set. Off to her side she could hear the sounds of the horses and cows as they were herded into the barn over the field of early spring grass. The first few days she had been staying with Abril on her farm she had offered to help the pregnant woman, but after a few attempts it became clear Abril was much better off on her own. So instead she merely watched, breathing in the fresh air that never touched the city.

Sera poked her head out of an open window and glanced down at where Beth was sitting. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour!" she declared.

Beth looked up with a frown. "A few minutes ago it was going to be done in ten minutes!"

"Well... I might've burnt something. Don't look at me like that! If you want to eat burnt food then dinner's ready now!"

"An hour's fine," Beth said hurriedly.

"Good."

"Need any help?"

Sera's eyes widened as she remembered the last time her daughter had been left to her own devices in the kitchen. "No!"

Beth sighed as Sera's head disappeared back into the house. She hugged her legs closer to her and rested her chin on her knees, watching as the last of the horses pranced into the large barn. A moment later Abril came into view; she closed the barn doors and then waddled over to the porch before sitting down next to Beth with a heavy thud and a huff.

"If I get any fatter I'm going to burst!" the woman complained, poking at her large stomach. When Beth didn't respond the older woman looked at her with a worried frown. "Everything alright, Beth?"

"Just thinking about Eddo."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them.

"You know..." Abril began hesitantly. "I know how you feel." Taking Beth's silence as a sign to continue, Abril shifted slightly to get more comfortable on the wooden steps. "Well, sort of, anyway. My great-grandfather tried to fight against Ganondorf when he first arrived here."

Beth stared at Abril in surprise. "Why would he do that? That sounds scary!"

"Well, my grandmother used to tell me that my family was related to some legendary hero... oh what was it? Something to do with the weather."

"That doesn't sound very heroic," Beth said slowly.

Abril shrugged. "Not particularly, I suppose."

Both woman suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

"Anyway," Abril continued. "I remember when I was a little girl, my family used to talk about my great-grandfather all the time. Apparently he disappeared during his battle, along with a bunch of other Hylians, and none of them ever turned up again. I remember seeing this lost look in my grandparent's eyes... sort of like what's in your eyes, actually."

Beth shifted uncomfortably. "It's just... scary. Not knowing if he's ok or not. It's been half a year already, and we haven't heard anything."

Abril wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "I know. The Wind Hero!"

"Huh?"

"I think that was his title. The Wind Hero."

"So your family is related to... The Wind Hero?"

"Allegedly, yes. I remember my grandparents telling stories about him, stories that had been passed down from generation to generation."

"Any good ones?"

"Well let me think... There was one about a legendary weapon called a light arrow or something like that. A powerful set of arrows that could kill evil. Apparently he used those arrows to help him defeat Ganondorf in this epic battle under water!"

"Under the water?!" Beth repeated. "How did he do that!?"

"I have no idea. But I'm sure wind was involved somehow," Abril added with a grin.

"Too bad we don't have those arrows now."

"Yeah." Abril frowned. "There was something else with that story... something about... a special bow, or something, that my family was entrusted with later on, right in these very lands. My ancestors apparently hid it somewhere."

"Do you know where?" Beth asked excitedly.

"Oh my goodness, no! It's just a story anyway."

"Oh, right."

Abril pursed her lips at the depressed look on Beth's face. "Although I do remember something about a train."

"...What's that?"

"No idea."

A crash from the kitchen and a startled scream from the same area had both woman jumping to their feet.

"I'm ok!" Sera shouted at them through the window. "...Dinner's going to be ready in two hours! Don't be late!"

Abril and Beth exchanged knowing glances.

"I might as well check on the animals again," Abril grumbled as she stepped carefully down the stairs and into the darkening field.

With a sigh Beth sat back down. She was just about to let herself sink into her thoughts again when lights appeared along the road. Straining her eyes she picked out a small group of people heading towards the farm. A moment later Beth instantly recognized them as her friends from school. An excited squeal escaped her lips and she was soon racing down the dirt path that led from the farm to the road.

"What are you guys doing here?" Beth gushed as she let herself be pulled into a giant group hug.

"Well we were told where our homes were, but we thought we'd visit you first!" one of the girls said. flicking a long lock of dark hair behind her shoulder.

"So I guess everything's going ok back at the schools, huh?"

Another girl with light hair cropped short nodded eagerly. "You bet! And guess what! I overheard some people talking before we left, and apparently our school is really important!"

Beth started to lead them towards the farm house. "How's that?"

"Well..." the girl began slowly, relishing in the fact that everyone else around her was paying attention to nothing else but her. "Apparently, our school is sitting right above... a station!"

Beth paused, racking her brain. Finally she looked at the girl with a frown. "What's that?"

"No idea!" the girl said with a giggle. "But the rebellion seems to think it's important! Oh!" Suddenly the girl placed her hands over her mouth. "I forgot I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. They caught me eavesdropping and made me promise and everything."

Beth rolled her eyes. "You guys are so hopeless without me. Come on, you can spend the night here! The house is really big."

"Ok!"

Along the way back to the farm house, Beth tried to figure out what, exactly, a station was supposed to be. For a reason she couldn't explain to herself, she felt that this was connected to the train thing that Abril had told her about earlier. Just as they started to climb the porch steps, she decided to visit Arlene as soon as possible and ask her about it.

_"Arlene knows everything!"_ Beth thought to herself happily.

As they entered the house the smell of something burning reached her nostrils.

"Dinner's going to be a bit late!" Sera shouted from the kitchen.

* * *

Beth's plan was, in her opinion, absolutely brilliant. She would sneak back into the city with her friends, pretending to be one of the students that had just left the school and not someone who knew any more about the rebellion than that. Abril and Sera had their doubts, which was rather hurtful, but eventually she managed to convince them that she had changed her mind and _wasn't_ going to go, so that she could sneak out without them watching her every second of the day.

Her friends were all for the plan, and found the entire matter to be rather exciting. They slowly trooped out of the farm house, giggling behind their hands and shooting each other knowing winks. As Beth snuck out the back door and skirted around the large wheat field, she prayed that they wouldn't give anything away. Glancing back towards the farm, she spotted Abril and Sera waving at the other girls from the porch, each wearing matching expressions of relief now that they were finally leaving. Grinning to herself, Beth quickly slipped into the long strands of still green wheat and disappeared, heading straight towards the road; as far as her mother and Abril knew, she was locked in her room and sulking.

As soon as she reached the road she waited for her friends to catch up. She heard them before she saw them, still giggling over their involvement in Beth's plan. As she listened to them she remembered that when she had been at school she had been just as giggly as her friends. Sitting at the side of the road, she found herself pondering on what had made her change the way she had. When was the last time she had given such a girlish laugh? Before she could come up with an answer her friends had caught up to her, and soon they were walking towards the city.

By early afternoon they arrived, and if it was at all possible the city was even more frantic than it had been when Beth had left it. Gerudo guards were everywhere, directing the traffic of the pedestrians and shouting to keep order. Several Hylians, both young and old, were gathered around and shoving past each other, every single person looking for someone else.

"You there!" shouted a Gerudo as she marched towards Beth and her group. "Just arrived I see? Very well then! Ganondorf, in his infinite wisdom, has allowed all the students at all schools to take a vacation and visit their families early. Please bare with us as we try to sort everyone out."

One of Beth's friends stared at the Gerudo with wide eyes. "That's really nice of Ganondorf!"

Beth looked at the girl, uncertain if she was being serious or not.

"Yes, it is," the Gerudo agreed with a nod. A group of parents suddenly rammed into the guard in their haste to search the swarm of incoming children, and soon the woman had her back turned to Beth and the others as she screamed insults at the older Hylians.

Taking this as her chance, Beth quickly slipped out of her group of friends and slipped into an alleyway. She moved quickly, and was soon marching into the register. With a pout she saw that the receptionist was gone, and the room was completely empty, though the curtain that usually kept the door to Arlene's room hidden was pulled back. She glanced about her nervously, uncertain if she should just walk right into Arlene's room or not.

Feeling stressed about this unexpected turn of events, Beth moved behind the receptionist's desk and took the seat there, tapping on her knees with the palms of her hands absentmindedly. She sat that like for a few minutes, all the while debating with herself on what to do.

She still hadn't come to a decision when she felt a light tug on the hem of her skirt. Glancing down she spotted the receptionist's cat, hunched low and tail twitching as it planned its next attack on a loose string of her dress.

"Hey there, kitty," Beth said brightly, sliding off of her chair and landing on her knees. She stretched out a hand, which the cat merely stared at with a dull expression on its face. "Seriously? Even the cat isn't interested in me..." Beth grumbled to herself. She was about to stand again when she heard Arlene's door open.

At first she thought the receptionist was finally returning, and she was about to stand up to announce her presence when the sound of heavy boots crashing against the floor reached her ears. With a frown, Beth realized that couldn't possibly be the receptionist. She never wore boots.

The cat had its ears pressed tightly against its head as Beth carefully poked her head around the edge of the desk. Before her, Ganondorf himself was marching out of the office, muttering darkly under his breath. Quickly ducking her head back under the desk, Beth forced herself to hold her breath. She didn't breathe again until she heard the large man finally leave. Even then she still waited a few more minutes before finally crawling out from her hiding place. The cat carefully followed, leaping on top of the desk with a quiet chirp before licking at one of its paws.

"Arlene!" Beth said with horror before racing to the door behind the desk and bursting inside. The room was completely empty of anyone.

"Where'd she go? Hello? Arlene?"

Beth searched the entire room but couldn't find any sign of her. Chewing on her lip, Beth considered this. "Maybe... maybe she went to the school! Where General Impa is!" Quite pleased with herself for figuring this out, Beth carefully left the register and began the long trek to the boy's school.

* * *

Ganondorf glared down at Link, listening to his ragged breathing. "Why do you still resist!?"

Link met his glare. "Because I can," he replied with a smirk. "Why are... you here? You don't usually come to say hi in the evening."

Ganondorf sneered, wondering how the man had managed to figure out what time it was. "Yes, well, I didn't have anything else to do, seeing as how Arlene's gone now."

Ganondorf glared at the wall as he remembered his uneventful trip to Arlene's. _"Probably holed up in one of the schools,"_ he thought to himself bitterly. _"I should've known she was more involved with the rebellion than she let on." _He was about to throw another spell at Link, just for kicks, when he noticed the man's breathing had suddenly changed. It was much more rapid, and his face was even paler than usual.

"What do you mean?" Link asked, his eyes wide with fear. "What do you mean gone?"

Ganondorf blinked. _"It would appear I might have finally found his weakness..."_ Ganondorf chuckled. "I grew tired of her, so I decided to kill her. I hope you don't mind." The Gerudo king felt a surge of victory when he saw the man pale even more, letting some of the bruises on his face stand out more obviously in a sharp contrast against his skin. "Oh!" Ganondorf began cheerfully. "Another bit of news for you, I managed to recapture your general, Impa. She died the most painful death I could think of for her."

Ganondorf beamed down at Link, but when the Hylian began to suddenly chuckle he felt his smile falling. "What's so funny?"

"You're lying."

"If you say so," Ganondorf replied casually, but he could tell that the man no longer believed him. He considered this as he marched back towards his throne room. _"What happened? He believed me until I mentioned I had killed Impa. What reason does he have to doubt I'm telling the truth about that and not Arlene? How would he know...?"_

Ganondorf suddenly froze in the middle of the hallway he was currently walking through. _"Unless... there's something that would happen should Impa die. Unless..."_ A grin began to grow on Ganondorf's face. "Unless General Impa is Zelda!" He burst into laughter and then continued towards his throne. "Impal was right all along! I don't know how you managed to hide from me, Princess, but at last I know who you are! ...And where." He decided to make a quick detour before going to his throne room. He sought out the nearest radio and then relayed new orders to his army's captain. It was time to increase their efforts to retake that school, and since the other two suddenly didn't matter anymore, they would have more than enough force.

As soon as he reached his throne room he closed his eyes and concentrated. He still couldn't sense the woman. Somehow she had managed to block the fact that the Triforce of Wisdom lived inside her. "No matter," Ganondorf muttered to himself. "As soon as she's my prisoner I'll learn how she did that, and then take it for myself." Smiling, Ganondorf leaned back into his chair. "Today was a pretty good day after all."

He let his eyes roam about the throne room, admiring the jewels everywhere and pausing when he spotted Hadiya in the corner. He frowned and leaned forward in his chair, trying to get a better look at her through the long distance between them. She appeared to have shrunk a bit, and as his eyes picked out more details he noticed that not only had she decreased in height, but in age as well. The much younger girl was still sitting in the corner, playing quietly with a small doll.

"Hadiya?"

The little girl looked up at him with large, smiling eyes. "Hi, Daddy!"

Ganondorf stood and strode over to her. "What are you-" But just as he reached her, she disappeared. The image of the little girl faded away, without even a whisper, leaving him alone in the large room once again.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!**


	29. Chapter 28: The Detour

**Thanks to ****Nabooru'sapprentice and **Guest for reviewing! Have some cookies ^_^

* * *

Chapter 28

The Detour

As Beth wandered casually out of the city and towards the boy's worker's school, she noticed there were several armored vans speeding overhead. She had never seen so many Gerudo military cars at once, and as she finally managed to leave the city she noticed that all of these vans were heading towards the same place she was. With wide eyes she stopped. There was a bright orange glare staring back at her when she looked towards the school. Pillars of smoke stretched away from the building, blocking out the rising moon and casting a dark shadow over the area she was standing in. She continued to just stare, her hands hanging loosely by her sides as she watched the flames that were covering the building she had wanted to visit.

"Oh no," she whispered. "...Now what do I do!?"

* * *

Ganondorf stepped from his van and into the thick smoke. It stung at his eyes for only a moment before, with a wave of his hand, he pushed the thick fumes away from the ground. With his view no longer obstructed by the black smoke, he observed the school before him. The building itself was still on fire, and a few parts of it had already collapsed. He turned his attention away from the school when a Gerudo stepped up to him.

"Captain," Ganondorf greeted with a nod.

"Sire!"

"Report."

"Well... we have successfully taken back the boy's worker's school."

Ganondorf didn't miss the hesitation in the woman's voice. "But?"

"We sent in a few soldiers to take any survivors, but..."

Ganondorf sighed when she hesitated again. "You're testing my patience, Captain."

The woman stiffened. "Sorry, sire! The soldiers returned, reporting that the building was completely empty."

"What!?"

"...It was empty, sir. Not even a single dead body from the initial explosions we sent in."

"Well where did they all go!?"

"Uh..."

"Did you see anyone fleeing the building while you were attacking?"

"No, sir! No movement at all, actually."

"Then where... they collapsed the tunnels underground, they should've been trapped in there!" Ganondorf glared at the building, his pupils narrowed to mere pinpoints. "Get in there and search again!"

The woman glanced back at the burning building and then back at her furious king. "Right away, sire!"

Ganondorf watched her go, glowering the entire time. "Damn, I _knew_ there was more to it than her just blocking the tunnels... She must have found another way through down there." His glare deepened, and he began to seriously regret moving almost all his forces into this one attack. He had been so close to finding her, but now... Now his palace was practically undefended. He turned sharply, his cloak billowing around the smoke that was beginning to gather once again. The palace lay just in sight, its rounded domes standing proudly over the other buildings in the city. Everything seemed quiet over there, but he had a feeling that wouldn't last for long.

* * *

Zelda led the way through their detour tunnel, coughing as the smoke from the school above them slowly started to seep into the narrow passage.

"We'll all end up choking to death in here if we don't get out soon," Arlene said quietly; she alone was able to walk through the tunnel without having to duck or, as in some people's cases, crawl.

"We're almost there," Zelda said confidently.

"I have to say, this isn't the best way I wanted our rescue mission to go."

"Nor I," Zelda admitted. "But it's either now or never. For whatever reason Ganondorf pulled almost all of his military out of his palace to attack here. We'll probably be able to just walk right in."

Arlene laughed breathlessly. "I wish I shared your optimism, dear."

Zelda shrugged. She didn't bother to say that there were several doubts screaming at her right this moment, the loudest being that they didn't have a good plan for getting out once they got in. The only place they had to return to was the school, and that was being burned to the ground. They would be stuck traveling down the tracks even further, down whatever tunnel Ganondorf had left intact in the other direction.

As she finally climbed out of the detour they had dug and back into the larger tunnel with the train tracks, she shoved her doubts away from her. What was important now was to concentrate on getting Link out, and finding the Master Sword. A part of her hoped Link would be fit enough to kill Ganondorf right then and there, and then all they would have to do was wait there and not even have to worry about leaving, which would solve all of her problems quite easily, but she suspected he probably wasn't.

As soon as the last of the rebels was out, they quickly turned around and collapsed the detour tunnel behind them with a few strikes of their pickaxes. As chunks of stone fell to block the hole, the rebellion started down the tunnel.

Arlene glanced over at her great-grandson, who was hopping along the tracks, arms waving wildly as he tried to keep his balance. Byrne was doing the same thing, though in her opinion he was doing a much better job at staying steady. "Be careful over there," Arlene called out to them.

Her only answer was a large grin and a wave from Linebeck.

Rolling her eyes and grumbling to herself, Arlene concentrated on trying to keep up with Zelda. She had no idea why Byrne had decided to stay with them. There had been no record of anyone with the name Byrne in the register or even the school records, proving Arlene's suspicion that the boy had just chosen it for himself later on. But then, after picking through every single photo of every single student, they had managed to find him. His parents were no longer alive, killed by the poisoned water, but they had found the people who had adopted him and were still willing to take him in. All Byrne had done, however, was clutch tightly to Linebeck's hand and refuse to even set foot out of the school. Finally Zelda had claimed he could stay. So there he was now, joining in with her grandson in an activity that would probably end up breaking both their necks before they even arrived at their destination.

Chewing on her lip, Arlene realized she had just lied to herself. She did have some idea on why Byrne insisted on staying with the rebellion. If he was who she suspected he was, the reincarnation of Byrne from such a long time ago, it made perfect sense. He had been gifted with a new life by the goddesses, in the form of a Hylian, to repent for the sins of his past life. To repent for trying to help a demon. She glanced over at Byrne again, wincing when he nearly fell. Either the goddesses themselves were speaking to him and telling him he should help the rebellion, or it was just an innate feeling in the boy. Either way she didn't like it.

_"The goddesses should've made sure he would be older than he is. He's far too small to do any real good like that."_

She recalled the drawings in her books of the first Byrne, the large Lokomo warrior. Now _that_ was something that could've come in handy, not a little boy. With another sigh Arlene pulled her attention back to the present. She had fallen behind a bit, and Zelda had pulled the group to a stop just before a place where the tunnel branched off in two different directions. She was currently in a conversation with one of her majors, and as Arlene quickly moved to join them she tried to recall the man's name.

_"What was it again? ...Probably Impa something,"_ she thought to herself amusedly. When Zelda had first come up with the idea of using Impa in all their cover names, she had thought it was a nice idea; a salute to the women that had played important roles in the royal family, and to past Zelda's, but after the rebellion had grown it was now more annoying than anything else.

As she finally caught up she heard Zelda's voice drift over to her. "...scouting party, just to get ahead. If things don't look good down there then at least we'll have a bit of warning before we all march down there."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Ah, Sage," Zelda greeted as Arlene joined them. "Just in time."

"What's going on?" Arlene asked as the Major Impa-something started to head back down the way they had come, waving over a few rebels to join him as he went.

"We're almost there," Zelda whispered, pointing down the tunnel that branched to the right. "The palace's station should be right down there."

"And what goes down there?" Arlene asked, pointing down the left branch.

"No idea, and that's why I'm organizing a search party. While we sneak into the palace, they'll see what lies down there. Hopefully another station we can use to get back to the surface."

"Shame we don't have a map," Arlene commented as she tried to peer down the tunnel.

Zelda gave a hum of agreement. "Anyway, I'd like you to be in that search party."

Arlene looked at Zelda sharply. "Excuse me?"

"No offense, Sage, but you're a bit old to be storming the enemy castle."

"You do realize that when you have to say 'no offense' it usually means the person is going to be offended, right?"

"Look-"

Arlene raised a hand to stop her. "Unfortunately for my pride, I agree with you. But I'm taking Linebeck with me."

Zelda nodded, as if she had been expecting this. "And Byrne. He's proven his bravery, but this attack is no place for a child."

Arlene glanced in back of her and noticed that, as Zelda's major started to return, most of the rebels following him were the youngest of the rebellion, most not much older than late teenagers. With a smile, Arlene nodded. "Good luck to you... Queen Zelda."

Zelda grimaced. "Hmm... that sounds weird."

"General Zelda then?" Arlene asked with amusement.

A smirk began to grow on the other woman's face. "Much better. Now get moving."

Arlene quickly turned and started to follow the small search party down the tracks. "Linebeck! Shake a leg!" she called over to her grandson.

The man quickly leapt from the tracks and ran to catch up, Byrne following closely. Soon a thick wall of darkness separated them from the rest of the rebellion, and the only thing keeping them from being swallowed up by the thick blackness themselves was a single torch held by the leader of their group.

Linebeck tapped Arlene on the shoulder as he pointed down the tunnel. "Where?"

Arlene grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "That's what we're going to find out, Linebeck."

The man's eyes sparkled with excitement as he nodded, and Arlene couldn't help but smile. It would appear that a love for exploration was a genetic trait for her family.

A moment later Arlene felt her free hand being taken up by that of a much smaller hand. Glancing to her side she saw Byrne, looking about the dark tunnel with wide eyes.

So that was how they traveled, Arlene holding both of their hands as they followed the small group of Hylian rebels deeper into the dark.

* * *

Beth didn't know what to do. She had spent nearly a full hour just staring at the school as it slowly burned to the ground. After that she began to slowly realize that she probably shouldn't stay so close to it, incase the Gerudo started to head back and spotted her. So she raced back to the city, keeping up a constant stream of chatter with herself as she tried to work out what to do next.

"I should tell someone! But who? The people who can help are in there! Wait! The other schools, I could go there and tell them. But what if those are on fire, too? No no no, it'll be safer to go back to the farm and tell Mom and Abril. They'll know what to do!"

Satisfied with her decision, Beth quickly ran towards the farm. She made it halfway and was beginning to cross over the large fields when she ran into a Gerudo. The other woman was crouched low, as if trying to sneak through the long grass herself, when Beth stumbled upon her, sending them both tumbling towards the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Beth squeaked out as she leaped back to her feet. "I'm just heading home! I know it's past curfew, but-"

"Calm down, Hylian," the older woman said with an amused expression. "I don't care about the curfew."

"Oh. ...Really?"

The woman pulled Beth into a crouched position along with her and made a shushing noise. "Have you seen any other Gerudo around here?" she whispered.

"Nope! Just you!" Beth quickly lowered her voice when the Gerudo glared at her. "I think all the others are busy attacking the school, so..."

The Gerudo's other eyebrow rose to join the first. "The schools are being attacking again already?"

"Well... yeah. You guys don't talk to each other much, do you?"

"Thank you for this information," the woman said, and then pointed down the field. "I suggest you get moving if you want to make it before it gets too dark."

As Beth carefully began to crawl through the grass, she glanced in back of her to see the Gerudo talking in an urgent tone through a small radio.

"What was that all about?" Beth wondered to herself. Then remembering that she had a mission to complete, she quickly stood and continued to run back towards the farm.

* * *

It took just under an hour at their cautious pace for them to reach the palace station. Just as Zelda had hoped, the train station underneath Ganondorf's palace was completely empty of any guards. She smirked; it would appear that he really had sent nearly all of his guards to join the attacking army. If they were really lucky, the palace would be completely empty, though she doubted that very much. Ganondorf was an idiot, but he wasn't _that_ stupid.

They quickly discovered a long ladder leading up from the old station towards a trap door. With a few hand signals, the rebellion set off to carry out the plan they had created. Some would remain behind, to guard the station and make sure their way out remained safe. The rest started to climb up the ladder.

* * *

Hadiya stared at the radio as the woman at the other end made her report.

"I found a Hylian running around outside, and she told me that the schools were being attacked again already. I went to check it out, and it looks like it's just the boy's school. I don't think there's anything we can do about it, ma'am, the place is a mess."

"Thank you," Hadiya finally said. "Report back here immediately."

"Right away!"

Lucine turned off the radio and turned to Hadiya. "Hopefully they made it through that detour in time."

"I am sure they did. Which will mean they are desperate and short on time."

"You think they'll try to get the Hero of Time out on their way through the tunnels?"

Hadiya nodded.

"They might be successful, most of Ganondorf's army is at the school."

With a shake of her head, Hadiya looked towards the city. "He will realize something is wrong soon. Sooner than Zelda will account for. We must get there before it is too late."

"How do you propose we do that, ma'am?" Lucine asked respectfully.

Hadiya was stumped by that question, and she struggled to come up with an answer. Her answer finally came not from her own head but from the crackling of another radio hidden in her cloak. Recognizing it as the counterpart to the radio she had given Arlene, she quickly turned it on. "Yes?"

"Hadiya," Arlene's voice reached her ears, sounding tinny and muffled through the speaker. "Where are you right now?"

"In the countryside. Why?"

"Can you track people by their radios?"

Hadiya glanced at Lucine, who nodded quickly. "Of course."

"Then come find us. You're going to want to see where we are right now."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	30. Chapter 29: Lost and Found

**Thanks to Guest and Deflow for reviewing! **

**Deflow: Thank you very much :-) I do try to avoid the cliche as much as possible, lol.**

* * *

Chapter 29

Lost and Found

Arlene had no idea how long they walked in that long, dark tunnel before they finally stumbled upon something different. There was a slight change to part of the wall, the stones that made it up was a lighter shade, hinting it was a different age than the surrounding stone, and to Arlene's well practiced eyes it jumped out at her as being as obvious as the sun in the sky.

"Hang on a minute, you lot!" Arlene called out to the rebels as she stopped. Releasing Linebeck and Byrne's hands, she moved closer to the wall and brushed her fingers against it.

"What is it?" asked the major curiously, holding up the lantern so she could see better.

"There's something about this part of the wall... it looks like it was put here almost as an afterthought. Look at how it doesn't quite meld with the rest of the stone over there... and there, too!"

The man frowned as he looked at the areas she was pointing out. "If you say so..." He squinted, trying to get a better look. "What does that mean?"

"I think there might be something behind here!"

"You want us to start tearing this wall down, don't you? We don't have time for that... we can come back later."

Arlene pursed her lips, thinking. "What reason would Ganondorf have to seal off this particular tunnel?"

"Maybe because he just didn't like where it led?" The major paused suddenly, pondering his own words.

Arlene, however, was nodding. "Exactly! And I don't know about you, but I think we should like anything Ganondorf doesn't!"

Beside her the major gave a groan. Arlene could tell he was struggling on what to do; he clearly wanted to follow his orders, but then there was that spark of curiosity in his eyes that he just couldn't hide.

"Fine!" the major finally said roughly. "Let's just start digging. Who has the equipment?"

Turning away, Arlene spotted Linebeck and Byrne gathered together, stuck in one of their wordless conversations. She watched for awhile before noticing that both of them seemed to be getting more excited about something the longer they waved their hands at each other.

Finally unable to resist, Arlene hobbled over to them. "What are you two planning?"

Linebeck quickly turned and grinned at her before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small handful of Sturgeon's explosive crystals.

Arlene's eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. "Just what were you thinking, keeping those in your pockets!?" she scolded, quickly taking them from the man. "How did you even get these?"

Linebeck shrugged casually.

Arlene narrowed her eyes and then sighed. "Never mind. Major! You can put away those axes!"

In no time at all they had blasted a large enough hole in the thick stone that most were able to squeeze into; a rush of fresh air invaded the larger tunnel they were still in and as they began to crawl through, the air only became more sweet, as if they were headed towards a large field of grass. Two rebels stayed behind to stand guard, though neither appeared too happy about it as the others left them.

As soon as Arlene was through the hole, Linebeck helped her back to her feet and kept her steady as she straightened. Before her lay a station, completely empty of trains just as all the others they had found, and beyond that what looked like a crumbling tunnel that the train tracks disappeared into. As Arlene looked about her, she noticed that most of the walls around her were also crumbling; every stone was being tightly strangled by large, thick roots.

As Arlene studied these roots she realized that it was much easier to see than it had been in the tunnel behind them. Glancing up, Arlene saw that the roof had been practically demolished. Above them was a canopy of leaves and branches, all intertwined with pale beams of moonlight pouring through any gaps they managed to find.

Linebeck stared up at the branches, listening to the wind rustle through the leaves. "Where?"

"I think..." Arlene began; she paused when she noticed everyone was paying rapt attention to her. "I think this is the Lost Woods."

"I didn't know there was a station in there," the major said as he kicked at some of the rubble that used to be the ceiling.

"Before Ganondorf took over, Hyrule was trying to put more stations around the world. They tried putting one in the forest, to make it easier for people to navigate, but it didn't really work. This explains why Ganondorf sealed it off; the Lost Woods obviously didn't like having part of it buried underground," Arlene said, pausing long enough to gesture towards the roots that were overtaking the station. "Not to mention there's all sorts of creatures out here, he probably didn't want them wandering into his palace when he realized he couldn't bury it."

"I don't know," the major said as he looked back up at the trees above them. "I feel like there's more to it."

"Well, whatever the case it makes for a good hiding spot," Arlene said, not even bothering to ask him what he meant; quite a few people in the rebellion had excellent gut feelings, but asking them to explain themselves was, as she had quickly learned, a waste of time.

"Sir!" one of the rebels called over, shining the lantern light down the tunnel at the other end of the station. "Looks like this way was sealed off, too."

"Alright," the major began. "Let's get some ropes up there and climb up. If Ganondorf is nervous about this place then it sounds like the perfect escape route for the general and the others."

"Linebeck," Arlene waved her grandson over. "You still have that radio Hadiya gave us?"

With a nod Linebeck handed the device over.

"I can't think of a better spot for those Gerudo to hide in than here. Plus, it's practically right next door to Ganondorf! Maybe they'll get here in time to help Zelda out." Arlene quickly tapped a few buttons on the radio and then waited.

"Yes?" Hadiya's voice answered.

"Hadiya," Arlene began, relieved that the thing had actually worked. "Where are you right now?"

* * *

It turned out that the forest wasn't that far from the farms. It only took a few hours for Hadiya and her followers to reach the edge of the forest. The foliage before them was thick, and despite the sun beginning to rise beside them it looked dark inside.

Haidya looked to Lucine, who was holding a noisily beeping device up in the air and peering at it anxiously. "You still have them?"

"They're not too far according to this," Lucine said slowly. "That way," she finally pointed straight into the woods. "They seem close. Maybe another half hour's march."

"Alright then, let's go."

The Gerudo slung their rifles over their shoulders and pulled from underneath their cloaks long, curved swords. Hadiya did the same, and soon they were hacking their way into the forest. A thick mist surrounded them the moment they stepped past the first few plants. Barely able to see even a few feet in front of them, the group was forced to slow down. A deathly silence prevailed, interrupted only by the sounds of their swords cutting into plants and the rapid beeping of Lucine's tracking device. There wasn't even a single bird chirping above them, and the quiet held an almost unnatural feeling to it.

Minutes passed, and the only sign that they were progressing was the sounds of the beeping increasing every so often.

"We should be there soon," Lucine said breathlessly, holding the device closer to her face.

Hadiya was about to respond when a large shadow fell over the group. She looked up but couldn't see anything except the mist, and when she looked back at the ground the shadow was gone. "What was that?" she whispered.

Lucine looked up from her device. "What?"

"I saw it," another woman spoke up. "Maybe a bird?"

Hadiya shook her head. "It was far too big. Unless it was a giant cucco."

The group remained perfectly still, waiting, the others not quite sure how to respond to Hadiya's remark. The shadow fell over them again, disappearing just as quickly as before. Around them the mist swirled, as if something was moving through it, but despite their efforts they couldn't see anything nearby.

"Let's keep going," Hadiya said quietly.

The group proceeded, much more slowly than before as they kept their eyes peeled for anything lurking nearby. They barely managed to progress by a few steps before a low moan reached their ears from in back of them. They turned but saw nothing but more mist. Another shadow passed over them, much faster than the previous two.

"Who goes there!?" Hadiya demanded.

She was answered by another moan; it was deep, and would have sounded pained if the anger in it hadn't been so obvious. The mist moved again, and Hadiya caught a glimpse of something moving through it, so quickly it was just a colorless blur.

"Continue on," Hadiya said urgently, and soon they were hacking their way towards Arlene even faster.

Another moan filled their ears, but then they broke through the plant life and into a small clearing. Just a few feet away from them lay a large hole in the ground, and above them were large branches from the surrounding trees that blocked out most of the morning light. The mist wasn't anywhere to be seen in this clearing, but when Hadiya turned around she saw it was still lurking around the plants behind them; a few thin tendrils of the mist pushed into the clearing before quickly pulling back behind the trees, as if something was keeping it from entering. As the last few Gerudo quickly made their way into the clearing a furious scream filled the forest.

A few Hylians came running up to great them from the large cavern below, their expressions nervous as the scream echoed around them. "What the hell was that?" one of them asked, his grey eyes roaming the edge of the clearing.

"I have no idea," Hadiya answered. "Definitely not a cucco."

The man frowned in confusion.

"Is Arlene here?"

"Down below," he responded. "I'm Major Impacio."

Hadiya noticed that he didn't try to shake her hand, as was a common custom amongst Hylians, but he also didn't have a gun pointed at her, which was a nice change. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Hadiya nodded at him. "Hadiya," she introduced herself, though it probably wasn't necessary.

"I'll show you where Arlene is. This way."

The Gerudo followed the Hylians towards the crater, pushing through the humid air. Soon they discovered a few ropes leading down into the hole, the ends of which were tied to nearby trees. Hadiya and the others slid down easily, into a collapsed train station.

"There you are!" Arlene greeted them instantly. "We don't have a lot of time, so I'll skip the common pleasantries. Through there," Arlene pointed to a hole in the wall, "is a passage way to Ganondorf's palace. Zelda has already gone up there, a few hours ago, and we haven't heard from her yet."

"Then we will waste no time, either. No doubt my father has returned with his army before they could complete their mission."

"Good luck," Arlene said as Hadiya and the other Gerudo quickly started towards the hole.

"Hold up!" the major called after them.

Arlene closed her eyes and sighed. "We really don't have time for this, Major. I know you don't trust the Gerudo, but-"

"That's not it, ma'am," the major said quickly.

Arlene looked at him in surprise, but the man was already walking past her and towards Hadiya. "I'm coming with you. Along with a few others, as well."

Hadiya tilted her head while the other Gerudo looked at each other uncertainly.

"You could use all the help you can get, right?"

"Yes," Hadiya said with a smile.

Arlene watched with a slack jaw as the Gerudo and several Hylians left the cavern together. "...What just happened there?" she wondered aloud, a feeling of excitement coursing through her.

"Time," Linebeck answered casually.

Arlene chuckled. "Well then, we should probably make ourselves busy, too. Let's start moving some of this rubble out of the way. We're going to need more room once everyone else gets here. ...Byrne! Get away from that rope! It's not a swing!"

* * *

Zelda and the others were making good progress. The halls were mostly empty, and as they made their way through the dungeon's labyrinth-like hallways they stumbled on only a few guards - guards that were easily taken care of. All the same it took them a ridiculous amount of time before they managed to map out enough hallways that they were able to find where they wanted to go. Several times they had to back track, and other times they ended up at a dead end. Zelda had a feeling Ganondorf had built the area just above the station like that on purpose, just incase someone actually did manage to sneak in that way.

Finally they found some stairs that took them up to the large hallway where the main entrance to the palace lay. This area was completely empty, much to their surprise. Zelda had been expecting at least a few guards in there. With a shrug she split her group up into two parties; one would search for the Master Sword, and the others, her party, would find Link. With their goals clear, the two groups quickly parted ways and moved on, one heading up a long flight of stairs and the other moving down the hallway, towards the prison.

With a glance out one of the large windows, Zelda noticed with a grimace that it was late morning already; they had spent a few good hours wandering the maze below them. Praying that that wouldn't end up hurting them, Zelda pressed on. As they marched through the first room of the prison, Zelda began to feel nervous. It wasn't the usual nervousness that she felt whenever going on a mission, that feeling of anticipation and apprehension all mixed as one. This was different, and as she neared the door that led to the high security cells the dread inside her increased.

_"What if he's dead? What if he's been dead this whole time? You just left him here..."_

Zelda cleared the thought from her head angrily and then pushed the door open. Two guards stood inside, protecting one of the cells, and Zelda felt relief flood through her as they shot at the two woman. They wouldn't guard an empty cell.

Signaling for her team to watch their exit, Zelda stepped into the room. Taking the keys from one of the dead guards, she quickly pulled open the door. There he was. Unconscious, she realized, but he was there, still alive, still breathing, if only just. His face was lined with pained wrinkles, even in his sleep, and his arms were kept pinned behind him by heavy chains wrapped around his wrists. His hair was longer than it had been when she last saw him and he could do with a shave, but at least he was still alive. Zelda carefully stepped inside, slipping her pistol into her belt before fumbling with the guard's keys and freeing his hands.

With a groan his eyes peeled open. It took him a while to register there was someone else in the room with him, and even longer for him to recognize who it was. He squinted at her, his eyes slightly unfocused in the bright light.

"Link," Zelda said quietly.

"...General?" he asked hoarsely.

Zelda nodded, then watched with confusion as he shakily started to reach out a hand towards her. He gave her a hard nudge on her arm then quickly pulled back, waiting with bated breath. Realization dawned on Zelda a moment later and she quickly gripped his hands in hers. "I'm real. I promise. We're going to get you out of here."

Link blinked at her, his brow still furrowed. "Took... took you long enough," he said quietly. "You shouldn't be here."

"Don't tell me where I should and shouldn't be._ I'm_ the one in charge, remember? Now come on. Can you walk?"

"Let's find out," he said, letting Zelda help him out of the cell.

As she supported him, she could feel his bones sticking out sharply against his tattered shirt. He had been skinny the first time they had met, but nothing like this. He gave a small whimper as he put some weight on his right leg, and Zelda noticed what looked to be a bullet hole in his pants, just above his knee. She didn't see any fresh blood, and realized it was probably old and just hadn't healed properly. She winced at that; they could do therapy on it, but depending on how old it was it'd probably never fully heal.

"Ready?"

Link nodded, already out of breath from the effort it had taken to stand. By the time they reached the doors Zelda was practically carrying him. He was still conscious, though Zelda could tell he was clinging to wakefulness out of sheer stubbornness; his body had all but shut down on him.

"Lieutenant," Zelda called as she entered the next room where she and the rebellion had once been prisoners. "Give him a lift."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I can walk," Link protested as the large man easily lifted him up.

"Link just humor me on this, will you?" Zelda shot back. "Alright let's move out."

They managed to make it all the way to the main hallway before they found themselves surrounded by Gerudo. Standing amongst them, a smug expression on his face, was Ganondorf himself.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	31. Chapter 30: Twenty-Three Skidoo

**A big thanks to link and bob for reviewing!**

**link: I loved your review; I really enjoy hearing about people's theories on things in the game, I find that really fun. I myself just sort of assumed the Kokiri evolved into the Koroks because it made things easier for them to travel around, but your idea is much more interesting. I don't have them in this story though (in either form). The Twili aren't here either. The reason for this is because I just really wanted to focus on the interactions between the Hylians and the Gerudo, and I felt that bringing in more races would sort of complicate things. Plus I wanted that mystery of what happened to the other races for this story, and have people wondering about that, for as long as possible because I'm evil like that. It's funny that you mention a sequel, though, because I actually have been playing around with a few ideas for a possible sequel, some of which may or may not involve the Twilight Realm ;-)**  
**Also... oh my gosh I am so looking forward to an hd Wind Waker! But I'm moving out of my parent's house for the fall, and I won't have a Wii U, so I won't be able to play it until much later... unless I buy one for myself, but those things are pricey :-( I also hear that there's a rumor going around that A Link Between Worlds is going to have a fourth Triforce piece, have you heard about this? It's messing with my mind; I was quite happy with three pieces, because Tri implies three. Hmph.**

**bob: Lol! That's definitely what I imagine them thinking!**

**So who here thinks this is the most awesome-est chapter title ever. Anyone? No? Fine. Twenty-Three Skidoo, almost as fun as saying 'I'd better skedaddle'!**

* * *

Chapter 30

Twenty-Three Skidoo

Link was back on his feet, though from the look on his face he probably wasn't going to be staying that way for very long. The lieutenant that had been carrying him had been quick to set him down when the Gerudo had appeared, so that he could easily grab his gun. Now most of the rebels were in a circle, protecting both Zelda and Link, the former of whom was supporting Link and pointing her pistol at Ganondorf over the heads of her comrades and enemies alike. The king was tall and stood over the heads of everyone else by quite a bit, making his smug face an easy target for Zelda to aim at.

In another circle stood the Gerudo, completely surrounding the group of Hylians with their own guns trained on them. Ganondorf surveyed the rebellion with raised eyebrows, a smile twitching at his lips.

"Ah, Zelda, how nice of you to join us."

Zelda blinked, the only sign that she was surprised by what she heard. _"How did he find out?"_ she wondered. _"Surely not... Link wouldn't have told_ _him." _She glanced to her side, at the defiance that was still blazing from exhausted blue eyes._ "No."_ Out loud, however, she said something very different. "Let us go, Ganondorf, before I shoot your head off."

Ganondorf laughed. "I'd like to see you try. You know a bullet's too slow to get past my magic. Now, lower your guns, and maybe I'll let you all live." He scowled when no one did as he had ordered. "If you're trying to stall for time, for your second team to find the Master Sword, you can forget about that right now. I already found that group."

Ganondorf waved his hand at one of the Gerudo, and she quickly marched off; she returned a moment later, dragging the dead body of Impata with her. "Recognize him, Zelda?" Ganondorf asked as the dead body was dropped at his feet. "I believe you put him in charge of the Master Sword's search party, right?"

Zelda fired her gun. Blinking in surprise, Ganondorf ducked to the side, just barely avoiding the bullet. "Fool!" Ganondorf shouted. "You've just signed everyone's death warrant! Prepare to fire!" he screamed at the Gerudo.

Everyone tensed, and Link even managed to take an unsteady step forward, away from Zelda and towards Ganondorf. By the look on his face, Zelda half expected him to try and take down the Gerudo with his bare hands right then and there. Then the sounds of guns being fired filled the room, and the rebellion threw themselves to the ground, firing off a few rounds of their own as they did. Zelda pulled Link to the floor along with her, and as she landed on top of Link in an attempt to protect him she noticed that it hadn't been the Gerudo to fire first. Or, at least, not the Gerudo she thought it would be.

Behind her stood another group of Gerudo, along with a few Hylians; they fired into the mob of enemies, standing their ground even as a volley of bullets flew towards them. Zelda caught sight of Hadiya and couldn't help the grin that grew on her face. _"Arlene you arrogant, egotistical, stubborn, wonderful know-it-all."_

"Stop!" Ganondorf suddenly shouted. "Cease fire immediately!" He was staring at Hadiya with an unreadable expression.

Hadiya walked over to the rebellion as they cautiously got to their feet. "Link?" she whispered.

The man simply nodded at her, barely able to stand without Zelda holding him up; as he started to sag even more she was forced to holster her gun and support him with both hands.

"Hadiya, where have you been!?" Ganondorf shouted at his daughter, sounding more like a hysterical parent than a furious king at the moment.

Hadiya seemed taken aback by the question, and it took her some time to figure out a response. Whatever she had to say, however, quickly died on her lips when Ganondorf continued in a much calmer voice.

"Next time _call_ when you're going to be out all night. Now, move out of the way. These Hylians need to die."

Once again, it took some time for Hadiya to collect herself. "I will not move."

"Then I'll move you myself!" Ganondorf flung an arm into the air.

Hadiya was suddenly gripped by an invisible force. She wanted to protest, but her lungs felt like they were being squeezed from the inside. Ever so slowly she was pulled away from the rebellion, and as she moved the still surviving enemy Gerudo prepared to fire again.

Then there was a gun being pointed at her head, and everything froze once again. Only able to move her eyes, she strained them at their corners to see past the gun. Link was standing there, on his own and breathing heavily, with Zelda's gun in his hand.

"Link," Zelda began cautiously, surprised that he had managed to move fast enough to take her gun from her. "What are you doing?"

Ganondorf had the same question, but as he asked it his expression was much more furious.

"Let us go, Ganondorf," Link said, his voice quiet but strong. "Or I _will_ kill her."

Hadiya forced her expression to remain neutral, but as she searched his face she couldn't see any sign that he was bluffing. The gun remained steady in his hand, and his eyes gave no hint that she was safe... not even a wink. She didn't even know why he thought this would work; certainly her father seemed a bit... off... a bit more eccentric than usual, but he had still tried to kill her himself just a few months ago. Then the invisible hands gripping her were gone, and she was able to pull in air once more.

"I will find you again, Hero of Time," Ganondorf hissed. "I promise you that."

"Looking forward to it," Link replied, still keeping the gun to Hadiya's head.

Ever so slowly the rebellion and their Gerudo allies inched out of the hall, down towards the train station. As soon as they left the room, Zelda ordered the doors closed. The furious expression on Ganondorf's face disappeared behind them, and they quickly blocked the doors as best they could by sliding a few rifles between the large handles. The gun to Hadiya's head was lowered, and Link collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Grab him and let's go!" Zelda shouted. She paused next to Hadiya. "You alright?"

Hadiya didn't answer. "We need to move. These doors will not keep my father out for long."

Zelda nodded. "Move out! Let's catch up with the others."

Navigating their way through the maze before them was much easier this time, partly because they somewhat remembered how they had came, and mostly because Hadiya seemed to have the entire place memorized. She led them easily through the halls, and they reached the station just as they heard the doors they had tried to block being forced open by a powerful blast of magic.

The group quickly slid down the ladder and then raced out of the station. Soon the thick stone walls of the tunnel surrounded them, and they very nearly thought they had made it out when a sound that reminded Zelda of thunder echoed around them. Beside her one of her men suddenly collapsed to the ground, a large bullet hole in his back.

"Sniper!" Hadiya shouted, and everyone quickly scrambled closer to the walls, trying to make themselves as small as possible.

Pulling her rifle from around her back Zelda scanned the tunnel. "Where is she?" she whispered. Others had already joined the search, but couldn't see anything through the darkness. Another boom of thunder shook the walls, and another rebel fell with barely a sound. Dust fell from the ceiling all around them, shaken free by the vibrations from the loud gun.

Cursing under her breath, Zelda signaled at the others to make a run for it. As she bolted down the tunnel, she heard the sniper gun fire again, and yet another Hylian behind her fell to the ground. Zelda stopped and turned; they were going to be picked off one by one if they didn't change their tactics. Once again all she saw was darkness.

It was a darkness that didn't remain dark for very long, however, as suddenly there was a bright flash of light as the wall of the tunnel before Zelda's eyes exploded outward with enough force to knock a few rebels off of their feet. There was a scream which Zelda could only guess was from the sniper as the wall fell to the ground in large chunks of rock, and then everything settled back into darkness again. A moment later the dark was pushed away a second time, this time by a large lantern. Stepping out of a hole in the tunnel wall was Orca and Sturgeon, bickering amongst each other as they climbed over the rubble.

"You hit someone!" Orca was complaining. "I _told_ you to say something before you blew the crystals!"

"It's not even... look, it was a Gerudo anyway! See?"

"Whatever. Oh look, there they are!" Orca said happily, pointing out Zelda and the others with a grin.

"What are you doing here!?" Zelda demanded as the brothers rushed over to her.

"Well when we heard that your school was attacked everyone else said you had a plan and would be ok and that we had to stay where we were, to guard the other schools, but we figured we had to get there as soon as we could to help and stuff..." Orca began.

"So you decided to blast your way through!?" Zelda asked. "Weren't you worried about the entire thing collapsing on you!?"

"Well..." Orca paused and looked at Sturgeon.

Sturgeon straightened. "I was fairly certain everything would hold."

Orca nodded and then frowned. "Hey wait a minute, you told me you were _positive_ it would hold, not just _fairly certain_!"

Zelda stared at them as they began to bicker. "Gentlemen," she interrupted their quarrel finally. "Your timing was perfect, but right now we have to get going."

"Did you find him?" Orca asked hopefully.

Zelda tossed her head towards the rebel that was still carrying Link. "Over there."

Orca breathed in sharply and then raced over to his unconscious friend. As they marched briskly back to where Arlene and the others were waiting, Orca insisted on staying as close to Link as possible, his concerned gaze never once leaving Link's gaunt face.

As they traveled, the sounds of others behind them in pursuit acted as a constant reminder that they couldn't slow down.

The Gerudo chasing them drew closer every minute, but finally they reached the station in the Lost Woods. They quickly slipped through the hole, and as Link was taken over to Arlene, Zelda turned to Sturgeon. "How much explosives do you have left?"

"...Eh, not enough to take down that army chasing after us."

"What about to seal up this hole?"

Sturgeon appraised the passageway in question quickly, his eyes bright with calculations. "I think so."

"Do it. Everyone!" Zelda shouted as she turned back to the people still inside. "Find some cover!"

Sturgeon rushed to the hole and quickly forced some of his crystals into tiny nooks and crannies along the top area of their only underground exit from the cavern. Then with a nod to himself he scurried back to where Zelda was. "That ought to do it," he said quickly.

"Good, get back then." Zelda grabbed some small chunks of rubble that was still strewn about the room before throwing them at the crystals. The explosion was immediate, and Zelda didn't have any time at all to take cover before the blast slammed into her, sending her flying all the way to the other side of the cavern. Pain flamed through her as her head hit against the wall, and then darkness took over her senses. She didn't even feel herself hit the floor.

* * *

Arlene didn't look up when Zelda was dragged over to her corner of the cavern. All of her attention was on Link. "He's got a fever; if we don't get that temperature down he'll end up dying here. Oh and look at this, there's some bullet shrapnel in his shoulder here. That's not helping."

"Can I help?" Orca asked.

"You can go stand over there!" Arlene snapped as she pointed in a random direction. "Stop looming over me, you're blocking out all the light!"

Hadiya soon joined them, tossing a blanket at the person who was checking on Zelda as she went. With a grateful nod the man quickly rolled up the blanket and tucked it under Zelda's head.

"It is far too humid out here in the forest," Hadiya commented as she watched Arlene tend to Link. "We should move him somewhere else."

Arlene grunted in agreement. "Where are we supposed to take him, though?"

Link's entire face twitched, as if he was struggling to wake up again. "Aryll," he muttered quietly.

"What did he say?" Orca asked.

"Aryll," Arlene answered. "Maybe he means Abril?"

"The farm would be safe enough for now," Hadiya said. "Ganondorf will be putting all his focus on finding a way to get through the forest and find this place from the surface."

"Great," the voice of Major Impacio interjected itself into their conversation. "All we have to do now is march through that forest, where who knows what is lurking."

Arlene raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're scared of a few spiders, Major."

"Not spiders, ma'am; when the Gerudo arrived there was something out there tracking them. I didn't get a good look, but it was loud, which probably means big."

Arlene pursed her lips as Hadiya agreed with him. "In that case," Arlene said, "we'll just have to be cautious. But, Major, he cannot stay here."

The major sighed and glanced over at where Zelda lay, still unconscious. Arlene couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him; all the sudden he was the one in charge. Having something like that sprung upon one was never fun. Finally he nodded. "Alright then. I'll get a team together. The majority of us should stay here, until the general can decide what she wants to do."

Arlene stood. "Thank you, Major. I'll pack what I need."

"Pack light," the major called after her, scowling when she ignored him. "Alright, I'm looking for volunteers for an escort mission." He turned to Hadiya. "You coming?"

Not to his surprise, the woman shook her head. "I and my people will remain here, in case we are needed."

The major nodded. He was about to leave when Hadiya stopped him. "Thank you for joining me and my people earlier. We would not have been as successful without your help."

"Don't mention it." With a smirk he nodded to Zelda. "Seriously, don't mention it."

A smile flickered over Hadiya's face and then disappeared. "...What is your name?"

"I told you already," the major said with confusion.

Hadiya shook her head. "You misunderstand. In Gerudo culture allies never hide their true names from each other."

"Ah. Names have power, or something spiritual like that?"

"No. It's just considered rude."

"Oh." The major was about to say more when he was suddenly surrounded by several Hylians, all offering to join him on his trek through the forest. Soon he was busy making sure they packed enough supplies for the trip, and were full on ammo. By the time he looked back Hadiya had already left to help Arlene with an overstuffed, gigantic bag of supplies.

"I thought I said pack light!" the man protested as they tied the bag to one of the ropes so it could be hoisted up.

"...I did!" Arlene argued.

Impacio rubbed a hand over the light stubble growing on his face. "Remind me not to bring you on vacation with me. If this is light for you I'd hate to see normal."

"Linebeck!" Arlene shouted, ignoring the major once again. "Where's that stretcher?"

In a few minutes they had Link strapped to a small stretcher, and were lifting him up with the use of several ropes. Soon everyone who was leaving was on the surface and facing the forest, preparing to step through the first few plants.

"The path we took should still be there," Hadiya said as she handed Arlene's bag to one of the Hylians in the small group. "If you follow it it's less than an hour's walk to the edge, and then the farms lay just a few hours from there."

Impacio nodded as he slung his rifle over his shoulder and into his hands. "Thanks."

Hadiya glanced into the forest. Everything seemed still, and the only sounds that reached her ears was that of a few birds and frogs. "Good luck."

"Let's move out!"

With the command given, the group of Hylians quickly started to walk. Arlene glanced in back of her and waved at Linebeck, who waved back at her frantically alongside Byrne. Orca and Sturgeon, who were still arguing over something or other, quickly ran past Hadiya to catch up with the others.

"We're coming, too!" Orca announced.

Impacio rolled his dark eyes but didn't even bother trying to argue. Instead he turned back to face Hadiya, who was still staring into the forest with narrowed eyes. "Russ."

Hadiya pulled her eyes away from the tree line. "Excuse me?"

"That's my name," the major said casually as he started to walk away from her, towards his group. "My pop didn't raise me to be rude!"

Hadiya smiled as she watched him disappear behind the thick foliage. She waited a few minutes, listening for any sign of the creature that had been chasing after her before. When nothing arrived she turned to head back to the cavern.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Next week things are going to be insanely hectic for me (I be moving! And getting ready for a new school, and apparently there's orientations I have to attend for that, since I'm going to be teaching there as well as studying... can you imagine me as a teacher? I certainly can't. Should be interesting!) Anyway... the point of all this rambling is that I don't know when I'll be updating next week. I'm going to try and keep to the schedule, and I know I'll be able to do Monday's update on time, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep with Wednesday and Friday... however, I promise that I will still make sure there are three chapters uploaded, even if the last two are both on the same day! ...They probably won't be, but you get the idea.**

**Have a great weekend!**


	32. Chapter 31: The Reunion

**Guys! I got a cell phone! ...I know this probably doesn't seem like a big deal for y'all, because everyone in the world and their dog has a cell phone now, but this is honestly my very first one. It's sooo cool! It flips open, and then it flips closed, and it's got a picture of a flower on the screen (so pretty!). And it can take pictures! And it can text, which is a surprisingly confusing thing to try and do... but that's probably just me. Anyway...**

**Oh and check it out, folks! We've got more reviews than chapters now! You guys are so awesome! Celebratory cake all around!**

**A big thanks to Nabooru'sapprentice and pab for reviewing!**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: I'm honestly having a blast with writing Ganondorf in this story, and confusing was what I was aiming for last chapter so I'm happy to hear I achieved that, haha! Thanks much :-) As for what I'll be teaching, I've been set up with a course in calculus (Calc 1 to be specific) which I'm excited about; I was worried I would get stuck with something boring for my first class. And thanks very much for the vote of confidence! Lol, yes, I'll probably have to make sure I'm not too energetic, right? Don't want to scare off the freshmen...**

**pab: Not to worry, your questions about Hadiya's mother will be answered later on in the story! So stay tuned! **

* * *

Chapter Thirty-One

The Reunion

Link felt like he was floating. His head was resting on a cloud, and the pain that he had grown so accustomed to feeling felt far away, like a distant, faded memory. He was hesitant to pull himself to a more wakeful state, on the chance that that would scare away the wonderful floating feeling. Unfortunately for him his brain had other ideas, and instead of letting him fall back to sleep he began to feel more alert. As he pulled his eyes open the pain still remained at a distance. He kept himself frozen for a long moment, his breath held as he waited. The pain still remained far away, and he finally let out the air he was holding with a relieved sigh.

As he observed his surroundings, however, he began to suspect that he might still be asleep. Instead of the tiny cell meeting his eyes, he saw his old bedroom in the farmhouse. A heavy but comfortable quilt lay over him, a comforting scent of hay filling the room. Birds chirped outside his window, and warm rays of sunlight fell on his face. He reveled in that sunlight, and a part of him wanted to close his eyes and just feel the warmth of it, but the rest of him wanted his eyes open, to look at the large room he was in, and all the space there was for him to move around in.

"Well it's about time!" The voice of Arlene startled him from his admiration of the room.

Looking around, he spotted Arlene standing in the doorway; her gray hair looked tangled and wind-blown, and her face was thinner than when he had last seen it, but she was _there_. Alive. While he hadn't believed Ganondorf had killed Zelda, as he would have had the Triforce of Wisdom, he had never been certain if he had been lying or not about killing Arlene.

"Arly," he whispered in disbelief.

"Well who'd you expect? Linebeck? The man can't even treat a splinter!" Arlene complained as she shambled across the room to sit at a chair that had been placed at his bedside.

A grin broke out on Link's face. "Good to see you again," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion.

Arlene paused and shifted in her chair to place a hand against his forehead, checking his temperature. "Yes, well... for a while things were pretty iffy. You've been out for over two weeks now."

Link's grin faltered. "Two weeks?"

"That's what I said. But it looks like your fever's broken finally." She glanced towards the closed door. "I'm supposed to tell everyone the moment you wake up, but... I think I'll keep it a secret for as long as I can. You should rest some more first." She leaned back into her chair. "I'd ask you how you feel, but I know you'll just lie."

The smile on Link's face was all but gone now. "I'm fine."

Arlene rolled her eyes. "Of course you are." She stood, the chair creaking from the movement, and then bent down and pulled him into a gentle hug. Link flinched at the contact at first, but then quickly sunk into the comforting grip. "You survived it," Arlene whispered into his ear. "When things get tough, just keep that in mind. Now, I'll have Abril sneak you up some food."

Link was left alone for a moment, and spent that time with his eyes closed; the part of him that had wanted to just feel the sun on his face had finally won. His recently shaven face, he noticed. His hair felt like it too had been trimmed recently. Glad to finally feel more like himself, he began to lift his right arm to see just how short his hair was when a sharp throb of pain in his shoulder had him putting his arm back down rather quickly. After that, he decided his hair wasn't all that important.

Then his peace was interrupted by the door being slung open loudly. For a moment that sound sent him back, and he could feel Ganondorf standing over him once again. Snapping his eyes open he found Beth staring at him with a large grin on her face.

"Eddo! You're awake! Arlene was sneaking around, so then I figured it out!"

"Ow," Link grumbled as Beth yanked him into a hug. His right shoulder once again flared up with pain, but it quickly receded as she released him.

"Sorry..."

"S'ok."

"So," Beth said as she sat down on the edge of his bed. "There's a lot that's happened while you were gone. Where to start... oh! My friends were here for a while, well, just a night really, but still. And then there was a fire at one of the schools, and-"

"A fire?"

"Oh don't look so worried! Everyone's fine. Oh that's right, you weren't here when that happened! General Impa took over all three schools! I helped!"

"...Really?" Link was amazed that Zelda had managed to take not only one school but all three.

"What do you mean, really? Of course I helped!" Beth snapped, mistaking the doubt in his voice. "Oh and Abril had her baby. It's a girl, though she already knew that."

As if waiting for the right chance to enter, Abril suddenly stepped into the room. "And I got a name, too," she said, setting down a tray of bread and milk on the nightstand. She studied the tray for a while before turning to Link. "We seem to be making a habit of this."

Link shrugged, hiding his wince when his wounded shoulder protested the movement. "So what's the name?"

Abril smiled proudly. "Hibiscus."

_"Hibiscus Cornelia Rose!"_ Aryll's voice floated through Link's mind as he considered the name. A smile twitched at his lips.

"I like it," he said finally, realizing that Abril was staring at him and waiting for him to respond.

Abril beamed at him. "When you're feeling better you can visit her. There was also something I wanted to ask you, but..." she glanced at Beth. "It can wait until later."

As Link pulled the tray of food closer to him he heard the unmistakable voice of Orca drift up to him from the floor below.

"What do you mean I can't visit yet!? Beth and Abril are bugging him, so why can't I!?"

"He needs rest!" Arlene shouted, but Link could already hear Orca stomping up the stairs.

"He's been sleeping for two weeks, that's enough rest for the rest of his life!"

Abril pulled Beth to her feet as Orca appeared in the doorway. "We'll check up on you later."

"Huh?" Beth asked in a whining voice as Abril began to pull her out of the room. "Aw, why does Orca get to talk to him and I don't?"

"Because I'm cooler than you!" Orca taunted as he stepped out of the doorway to make room for them.

"You're just a blockhead!" Beth retorted.

"It takes one to know one!"

"Moron!"

"Dummy!"

"Nincompoop!"

Link listened to this... he actually wasn't sure _what_ this was... 'conversation' between the two as they continued to shout insults at each other, even as Beth made it to the bottom of the stairs.

Finally, with two last insults at the others' intelligence, Orca turned and took Arlene's chair, acting as if the shouting match had never happened. "Hiya, Link!" he said brightly.

"Hey," Link replied cautiously before taking a sip of his milk, trying not to think about the fact that this was exactly how all of his conversations with the fake Orca had begun during his stay in Ganondorf's dungeons. Every single one of them, all starting with a cheerful 'Hiya, Link!' A brief moment of panic overtook him, and he quickly looked down at his left hand; the Triforce was still there, and he gave a quiet sigh of relief before looking back to his friend.

Orca had folded his hands in his lap and was staring down at them awkwardly. There was a silence between them that had never been there before. There had certainly been plenty of times at school when the pair had had to be quiet, but even then they had known what the other was thinking just by a glance, and they had been able to find ways to communicate with each other. Now, however, something had changed. Link knew exactly what it was, and the longer he watched Orca from the corner of his eye the more nervous he felt; he prayed that Orca wouldn't suddenly start asking about Zelda, because this just felt so _real_, so much more real than any of the other times. This Orca, however, seemed to want to wait for Link to say something, and every so often he would glance at Link in the same way Link would glance at him, only in his eyes there flashes of guilt accompanying the brief looks. So they sat there in silence, with Orca not meeting his eyes and Link picking at his bread but not really eating any of it.

"So..." Orca began hesitantly. The silence quickly returned.

Link felt anger rising up inside of him. Not really at Orca, but more at himself. _"It's not his fault! Don't blame him, he's your friend!"_ Link mentally screamed at himself. _"It's really him, now say something, damn it!"_

"Are you and Beth engaged yet?" he blurted out.

Orca's jaw fell. "What!?" Then a grin began to cautiously work its way across his face. "She's insane, right?"

Link nodded. "Yes, she is. Which is why you two make the perfect couple."

"You calling me insane!? Well... maybe I am, but I'll have you know she's on a whole different level of crazy than I am."

The two burst into laughter, and Link watched as the tension in Orca's eyes melted away. "So," Orca said finally. "We're ok, right?"

Link forced himself to nod and smile. "Of course."

Orca grinned with relief. "Well then, I should go. Sturgeon's been planning some new tunnels underground so that we have a safer route between the Lost Woods and the remaining schools."

"The Lost Woods?" Link asked, curiosity helping to push back his fears. "Why would you want to go there?"

Orca paused in his attempt to stand. "Oh, I forgot... you weren't here. Well then, have I got quite a story for you! ...Do you know what train stations are?"

* * *

The newest captain of Ganondorf's guards desperately wished she could turn herself invisible. Or, at the very least, be able to sneak out of the throne room, in which her king was currently pacing in front of her, muttering to himself; his thick orange hair was sticking up at odd angles, and his red eyes were an even darker shade of red as he stared out into space, his insistence on not blinking making them bloodshot.

"I see now..." he muttered. "Yes, I see it now! Don't you, Captain!?"

"Of course, sire!" she said quickly.

He looked at her, as if sensing her lie, but then returned to his pacing. "Yes, of course you do; it's obvious to everyone!"

"Sire..." the captain began hesitantly. "I have the latest report from the teams searching the Lost Woods for the rebellion."

"Of course it's obvious..."

"We lost another group today. It's as if there's something in there, something intelligent, picking them off one by one. One moment they're making a report, the next they're gone! We managed to find their radio this time, but no sign of anyone there."

"Obvious to everyone! A fool could see it!"

"Sire, I worry that if we keep doing what we're doing we'll lose every search party out there before we find where the Hylians are hiding. What do you want us to do?"

Ganondorf stopped pacing and glared at the woman. "Do? I'll tell you what I want you to do! It's quite obvious that my daughter has been taken prisoner and brainwashed by the Hylians. Did you see how he held a gun to her as if she was nothing? I want you to send in more search parties and find her!"

"...Hadiya? But, sire! We know the identities of both the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda! You've been searching for them for so long, and we're so close! The only thing separating them from us is that forest!"

Ganondorf looked down to the floor, muttered some more under his breath, and then looked back up. "You're right! The forest... then there's only one thing to do, really."

"What's that?" the captain asked weakly.

"Burn it to the ground. That should fish them out quite nicely, and then we can save Hadiya!"

"Sire... I really don't think she was brainwashed."

"Silence, fool!"

"But we can't set fire to the entire forest!"

"I can," Ganondorf said simply, examining the tips of his fingernails. "It's a simple spell, really."

"But-"

"Let's go!" Ganondorf suddenly strode from the room, leaving the captain to follow after him with a worried expression on her face.

* * *

Link listened with rapt attention to everything that he had missed over the past six months. He had known that things weren't going well for Ganondorf, as near the end of his capture the Gerudo's magic had grown more painful, and his visits more frequent, but he hadn't imagined it had been going _that_ well for the rebellion.

"And these train tracks... have you charted out all the ones that are still intact?" Link asked once Orca had finished updating his friend.

"Not really," Orca said with a shake of his head. "Sturgeon and I have tried exploring a few tunnels, but most end in rubble and we're worried that we might run into the Gerudo so we haven't done all that much."

"But Sturgeon's creating more tunnels?"

"Yeah. We've got one end hidden in the meadow out behind the farm, and hopefully it'll be done soon. Don't tell Abril or Beth about it by the way; Beth probably won't understand it, and Abril will just freak out. Sturgeon's supposed to be planning the last few explosives now, but the man takes forever so who knows how long that'll take. Anyway once it's done it'll be safer, because then we can avoid that creepy thing in the woods."

"Any ideas on what that is?"

"None. I haven't seen it myself, either, but Hadiya's pretty insistent that it's out there. Anyway... I think that's everything," Orca said slowly, frowning as he tried to remember if he had forgotten to tell Link anything. He didn't even notice that Link had paled slightly at the mention of Hadiya's name.

"Hey, Orca... how is Hadiya?"

"Fine," Orca said with a shrug. "Why?"

Link shook his head. "Never mind."

"You know now that you mention it, it's seems a bit odd she hasn't come to visit you yet. Before we got you out, she just kept going on and on about you, all the time. Now nothing. Women, right?"

Link stared down at his uneaten food.

"Orca!" Beth shouted, poking her head through the doorway. "Arlene says you've bothered him enough! Let him eat!"

Orca ducked his head sheepishly. "Fine, fine. See you later, Ed. I mean Link! ...That's weird."

Link grinned. "You'll get used to it."

Beth scowled at him as Orca slipped past her and left the room. "Ed, who's Link?"

Link laughed as he shrugged.

"Orca's such a weirdo," Beth muttered before leaving as well, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"I really don't think this is such a good idea, sire," the Gerudo woman said nervously as she followed Ganondorf to the top of his palace. From the roof of the tall building they could see for miles in every direction. The forest lay just before the horizon, its tall trees a blue, hazy cloud just visible in the late morning light.

"And that's why I don't pay you to _think_, Captain," Ganondorf grumbled as he flung his cape in back of him. "I pay you to follow orders. Now I order you to stop fussing and let me do my thing!"

"Yes, sir," the woman replied sulkily.

With a laugh that sounded almost gleeful, Ganondorf clapped his hands together, closed his eyes in concentration, and then flung his arms outward, towards the forest. Almost instantly a wall of flame appeared just in front of the forest, and with a flick of Ganondorf's wrist it began to move slowly and steadily towards the trees.

"Behold the power of your king," Ganondorf said smugly as the fire touched the first few leaves.

The captain quickly pulled out her rifle so she could utilize its scope, staring in awe as the first row of trees began to catch fire. Just behind the plant life a large wind began to blow through the forest. It was so strong that it nearly knocked down the trees that were already on fire, and as the captain watched the wind grew even stronger, pushing back at the fire that was trying to spread its way deeper into the forest.

"Um... sire..." the Gerudo woman began as she saw the flames beginning to move in the opposite direction, their tips bending away from the forest as the wind continued to push into them. "...The flames are... moving."

"Well of course they are."

"I mean in the wrong direction, sire."

"What? Impossible," Ganondorf snapped, pulling the woman's gun away from her and staring through the scope himself. "Impossible," he said again, this time much more quietly.

The flames were now a few feet away from the forest and marching across the meadow, the grass before it turning to ash. The wind was still at the fire's back, encouraging it on.

"Sire! The farms! And the city! Everything is in that fire's path! You have to stop it!"

"Don't tell me what I have to do!" Ganondorf shouted back, but he was already throwing her gun back to her and spreading his arms out in front of him, his eyes blazing just as brightly as the approaching fire. Seconds passed, and the captain kept her gaze glued to the flames. She wasn't certain if Ganondorf was doing anything, but as she tracked the fire's progress she noticed that it seemed to be increasing in speed.

"This is impossible!" Ganondorf finally shouted, throwing his arms down to his sides. "Everything I do makes the wind behind it stronger! ...What is this?" He turned on his heels to face the captain. "What is in those woods!?" he screamed at her.

"I don't know, sire! But what should we do!? That fire will reach the farms in just a few minutes!"

Ganondorf scowled and stared at the fire. "I can't stop it," he admitted finally. "But I can protect the city."

"What about the farms?"

"Farms can be replanted. The farmers can be replaced. Now be silent. This will take all my concentration."

The captain remained silent. A moment later a shield of the type that he normally kept just around his own palace spread from his arms, passed over the pair of Gerudo, and spread to surround the entire city.

"Tell me when the fire has passed here," Ganondorf grunted, a thin sheen of sweat on his face.

The woman only nodded, not daring to pull her king's attention away from the spell to even respond to his command. Instead she watched as the flames struck at the first of the farms. The fire didn't even slow, and as it enveloped crops and buildings alike it only seemed to speed up. It wouldn't be long now before the wall of fire was upon the city; she could only pray to the Sand Goddess that Ganondorf was strong enough to keep up the shield.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Just a reminder that I don't know if I'll be able to update on Wednesday and Friday, but I will get the other two chapters up some time this week, I promise! Sorry for the randomness this week!**


	33. Chapter 32: Into the Fire

**Well, folks, it looks like we might be doing two chapters in one day after all! I'm so sorry I didn't post anything earlier, I had way less time to myself than I thought I would this past week. Anyway, I'm definitely posting this one today, and then the next one will either be posted later today or maybe tomorrow... depends on how the day goes.**

**As always, a big huge thanks to those who have reviewed. I know there's a bunch of PMs I have to reply to yet as well, my apologies for taking so long to get back to y'all.**

**Anyway... thanks to san and Guest for reviewing!**

**san: Oh my gosh, you're right! Groose does sort of have a Gerudo-esque look to him! I never noticed that before... awesome!**

**This chapter title... was stolen. It's actually the name of a song, by Thirteen Senses. Oops. But it's a pretty good song, so who cares if the actual song has nothing to do with the content of this chapter? I know I don't... mostly. At least the title fits! ...Sort of.**

* * *

Chapter 32

Into the Fire

Link swallowed down as much bread as he could before his stomach began to protest at all the solids he was suddenly eating. After setting his plate aside he felt instantly bored and so decided now was as good a time as any to track down the newest member of the farm. Slipping out of the covers, Link cautiously put some weight on his leg. A dull pain spread from his thigh up to his neck, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been during his escape. Knowing he could handle it, he carefully limped out of the room and down the hall.

His feet carried him to his mother's old reading room. As soon as he pushed open the door he discovered the small room had been dramatically altered. Gone was the giant desk that had hidden away the few books his mother had owned, replaced by a large crib and some comfortable looking armchairs, one of which was currently being occupied by an overweight woman that he easily recognized.

"Hi, Sera," he whispered, not wanting to alarm the small bundle of blankets that was nestled in the woman's arms; while he couldn't see anything past the blankets, he imagined the newborn was in there somewhere.

Sera startled awake, blinking up at Link owlishly. "Eddo! My goodness, what are you doing up? I've been stuck with nanny duty, because _apparently_ I can't cook. Who ever heard such nonsense. You know who can't cook? Beth, that's who!"

"I always liked your cooking," Link answered as he slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs so he was sitting across from Sera.

"Thank you very much!" Sera said with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She glanced down at the bundle in her lap. "Want to see her?"

Link wasn't given any time to answer before Sera stood and plopped the bundle of blankets into his lap. Quickly he wrapped his arms around them before they could fall. Within the nest was a small head, just barely poking out from underneath all the cloth. It was small and round, with short tuffs of light brown hair sticking out in random angles.

"Eddo, you're a natural!" Sera said happily when she noticed the little girl was still asleep. "Thanks for taking over!"

Link looked up sharply. "Wait a minute, I didn't-"

"I'll be back in an hour or two! I'm exhausted! Being a nanny is hard work!"

"Sera!" Link called after her as loud as he dared. "_Sera_!" He bit his lip when the woman closed the door behind her. "Well..." he whispered as he looked back down at the baby. "I guess you're stuck with me, huh?" With a sigh he leaned back and gazed out the window that lay over the crib. In the distance he could see the meadow, its long grass waving at him while a few horses galloped through it.

Then, with a frown, he noticed something else. In the distance, and approaching very quickly, was what looked like a large wall of fire. Pain in his leg forgotten, Link got to his feet and moved closer to the window, Hibiscus clutched tightly to his chest.

"Arlene!" he shouted, watching as the horses began to flee back towards the farm. The flames drew ever closer, their tips standing taller than the farm house.

His shout awoke the baby, and as he limped swiftly out of the room it began to wail in his ear.

"Sorry, kid; nap time's over."

Orca was racing down the hall towards him, and when he saw Link emerge from the nursery he quickly slid to a stop. "Hurry! To the tunnel! Arlene thinks we'll be safe there!"

"Take her," Link said, handing the baby over to Orca.

A squeamish look passed over the other man's face, but he didn't argue as he grabbed the bundle of crying blankets.

"Run as fast as you can!" Link said, giving Orca a nudge on his shoulder and already starting to make his way as fast as he could towards the stairs.

"What about you?" Orca asked, hovering at his side.

"Just go! I'll catch up!"

Orca bounded down the stairs and quickly disappeared outside. Link hobbled along as best he could, and saw Arlene was moving towards the door at about the same rate that he was, slowed by a stiffness in the joints that came with age.

"Hurry along now, Link!" Arlene said as she used one hand against the wall to help hold herself up. "Now's not the time to have a hitch in your get-along!"

"Speak for yourself, Grandma" Link muttered as he stepped painfully onto the ground floor. "Where's Abril?"

"Outside somewhere, I think."

The pair stepped through the door, and into a blistering heat. The fire was nearly upon them now; glancing around, Link saw that it was just a few yards away from the barn. He saw several animals pouring out of the doorway and quickly realized Abril was probably in there, trying to save as many as she could.

"What is that girl thinking!?" Arlene shouted over the crackling and roaring of the large fire.

"Get going, I'll get her," Link said, already moving towards the barn.

"Link!" Arlene shouted after him. "The tunnel! It's behind the farm house! Look for an old tree stump, it's right next to it!"

"Got it!" Link shouted back. As Arlene started to move in the direction she had pointed out, Link forced himself into a run. The fire was picking up speed, and would completely take over the barn in just a few minutes.

"Abril!" Link shouted as he drew closer, dodging to the side when a panicked cow nearly trampled over him in her rush to get away from the heat. Pushing himself back to his feet, he watched as the first few flames began to lick at the barn. He barely managed to take another step closer when part of the building's wall collapsed inward.

"Abril!" he shouted again, running inside. Small flames rose to great him as he scrambled over the rubble of the wall, and sweat prickled irritatingly at his back.

"I'm here!" Abril called out, and relief flooded through him.

Following her voice, he soon found her, pinned under a heavy beam of wood. His relief disappeared completely. Only her head and the upper half of her torso was visible, the rest was buried under the rubble.

"Hang on!" Link said as he gripped at the wood.

"Link, don't!" Abril protested, but he ignored her as he tried to push the beam off of her.

His leg, shoulder, and pretty much everything else protested the movement with flashes of pain, and the air grew stiflingly hotter as the wall of fire finally found its way inside. Thick smoke swirled around them, blocking out Abril's face from Link's view every so often.

"Link! There's not enough time!"

"I'm not leaving you here!"

"Link, just stop it! Right now! There's something I need to ask you, remember?"

Link didn't cease in his efforts to pull the beam up, but he looked into her dark eyes, blinking sweat out of his own. "What?"

"I want you to be Hibiscus' guardian. Please... look after her for me."

"...I can't," Link croaked. His leg decided to betray him then, and he felt it give out before he collapsed to the ground.

"Please. Take care of her..." Abril's eyes fluttered closed, and Link lost sight of her behind another cloud of smoke that pushed into the barn.

"I promise," he whispered.

The smoke and flames were nearly upon him now, and his lungs were gasping for air that was actually breathable. He knew he should move, but he felt so tired all of the sudden, and he wasn't even certain he remembered where the door was.

"Link!" he heard someone say, a man's voice that sounded almost annoyed; then he felt someone lifting him up, long arms wrapped around his chest and under his arms as he was dragged out of the barn. He glanced up and caught sight of Sturgeon, his large, shaven head glistening with sweat as he walked backwards through the blackening meadow.

"Hurry!" Sera's voice drifted over to them.

Then they were somewhere much cooler; the dirt rose up around them as they slipped down a steep tunnel. Sturgeon continued to drag him for a few seconds longer, with Sera walking in front with a small lantern, before they finally stopped.

"There you are!" Arlene said with relief. She noticed the absence of Abril and let her eyes slide closed for a few heartbeats.

"Orca?" Link asked as Sturgeon released him, letting him fall to the dirt ground.

"Right here!" Orca said cheerfully. "Oh, and so's the baby, which I guess is what you're really asking about..."

Beside him Beth gave his arm a hard slap. "Of course that's what he's asking about," she grumbled.

Link stiffly sat up, noticing that everyone was staring at him. "...Is the tunnel finished?"

"Yep," Sturgeon replied. "We march down that way, we'll end up right inside the Lost Woods."

"Right," Link said dully as he stood. "We should get moving."

* * *

Zelda was crouched over a large chunk of rock that had been acting as a table for the past few days. It was covered with half-finished maps of the forest and charts of the tunnels that they had managed to find the time to create. It wasn't much, and as Zelda stared down at the papers she realized they really didn't know anything at all about the tunnels that surrounded them.

She pinched at the bridge of her nose, letting her eyes slide closed as she tried to come up with a plan that wouldn't get them all killed. "Alright," she said finally, letting her hand fall back to her side and opening her eyes. "We know Ganondorf has snipers positioned here, and more than likely here as well," Zelda said, pointing out the tunnels just outside the cavern.

Hadiya nodded slowly. "Which is why we should not reopen this area."

"Well, we've got our own tunnel to the farms, but connecting that to any preexisting tunnels might cause more trouble with Ganondorf's forces than it's worth."

Hadiya hid her smile; the fact that Zelda now referred to her enemy as 'Ganondorf's forces' instead of just Gerudo was not missed by the younger woman. It was a refreshing change, and one that she greatly appreciated. "Perhaps the tunnels should not be used to get back inside the palace."

"We'll never get through the shield," Zelda grumbled, fidgeting with the rope around her neck. The rope that still held her Triforce of Wisdom. "We have to go from underneath."

"But it is what he will expect."

"Well then, Hadiya, if you have any suggestions I'm open to hearing them."

Hadiya opened her mouth to reply, when new voices filled the cavern; they were familiar, but not the typical ones that the pair had grown accustomed to hearing in their cavern. Turning they saw a small group of people climbing out of the tunnel they had just finished.

"Arlene?" Zelda rushed over to help the out of breath woman from the narrow hole. "What happened?" Then she noticed Link taking up the rear. "Good to see you back on your feet," she said as she offered him a hand as well.

He merely nodded at her before moving to stand near Orca, who was still stuck with carrying young Hibiscus, a fact that he did not seem very happy about.

"What happened?" Zelda asked again with more concern.

"Ganondorf destroyed the entire country side with a giant wall of fire," Arlene said tiredly. Her grandson suddenly appeared at her side, offering a canteen dripping with water. "Thank you, dear."

"I do not believe it," Hadiya said quietly, standing near Zelda. "Why would he do that?"

Arlene shrugged and passed the canteen over to Link. "He must be getting desperate."

Taking a long swig from the canteen, Link passed it on and then looked over at Hadiya. The young woman was refusing to meet his gaze, and he quickly gave up on trying to get her attention, a depressed slump in his shoulders.

"We have to do something," Zelda said, turning back to her rock table. "Before he kills every Hylian left." She paused and then faced Link, who was standing unsteadily next to her. "Link, go find somewhere to sit down." The fact that he didn't even try to argue with her before he wandered off worried Zelda more than anything else.

"Come on, Orca," Sturgeon said as he started to move away from the group as well. "Let's see if we can dump that brat on someone else."

Orca gave a relieved nod before joining his brother in a search for a new nanny. Beth followed them, berating them for calling a newborn baby such an insulting name, and Sera quickly followed after her daughter, scolding all three of them for making so much noise.

"Arlene," Hadiya said quietly, stepping closer to the old woman. "If Zelda is correct, and we really are running out of time, then we are going to need a powerful weapon."

"The Master Sword," Zelda said matter-of-factly. "Which is what we've been trying to plan on getting."

"There is something else," Hadiya said. "I tried to search for it when I first left the school, but did not have much luck before Arlene called me here to the forest."

Zelda stared dumbly at Hadiya, but Arlene was shaking her head. "I know what you're thinking about, and we don't even know where it is. We don't have the time nor the resources."

Zelda cleared her throat. "Anybody feel like filling me in?"

"The Light Bow," Hadiya explained quickly. "If we can find it, it would allow us to not only break through Ganondorf's shield but also help to slow him down."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was lost."

"Hidden, more like," Arlene said. "And then, as far as I know, anyone who knew about it was killed."

"So... lost," Zelda repeated.

Arlene shrugged. "Fine, I suppose so."

"We don't have time to hunt for a children's story anyway," Zelda said, looking at Hadiya apologetically. "We need to do something soon. If Ganondorf is desperate enough to start destroying his own food supplies, then the Hylians in the city might end up being his next target."

Hadiya dipped her head. "Perhaps so."

Meanwhile Beth was staring down at the train tracks at her feet, trying to figure out what they were for. All she could really notice about them was that they were sort of shiny, but what the point of them were she had no idea. Eventually Link joined her, sitting down on a small pile of rubble that had yet to be removed. "Sure is humid down here," he said, wiping at his forehead.

"Eddo, what is this?"

"That's a train track."

"Train... Abril mentioned something about trains."

Link looked at her in surprise. "Really? I wonder how she learned about them."

For a moment Beth didn't really feel like telling him the story Abril had told her; it had been a private moment, in which her friend had respected her enough to share one of her most important secrets, but then the young girl caught sight of the miserable expression on Link's face. She sat down next to him, determined to cheer him up. "She said that her family was guarding a secret."

Link turned towards her, his expression more curious.

"Something about a bow, and that it was hidden away by her ancestors somewhere, and she said that trains were connected to it somehow... well, she told it better."

A flicker of recognition raced through Link's mind; something he had read in one of Arlene's books. "It wasn't... the Light Bow, was it?"

Beth nodded. "I think so!"

Link suddenly gripped her arms tightly. "Beth, why didn't you tell anyone about this sooner!?"

"Um... I tried to tell Arlene, but she kept saying she was busy and I shouldn't bother her..."

Link stood quickly, nearly toppled over, and then marched to where Arlene was still in a conversation with Zelda. Linebeck had joined them, and he greeted Link with a wave and a large smile.

Link smiled at him. "Hey, Grandpa. Arlene," he said as he turned back to the older woman. "We need to talk. Well, actually, Beth needs to tell you something."

Behind him Beth gave a squeak. "I do? Can't you tell her?"

After giving her a nudge, Beth finally repeated Abril's story to the others. Arlene listened with wide eyes, not even breathing until Beth was finished. "Goddesses, if that's true... if the trains are connected somehow to the Light Bow, then..."

Zelda nodded. "Then maybe it won't be so hard to track that thing down after all. If trains are involved in that story, then it could be close to a station."

Instantly Zelda, Arlene, and Hadiya raced back to the rock table to examine their charts.

"It must be a station that existed just before Ganondorf's reign here," Hadiya said. "Otherwise the family protecting it would have had time to leave better clues to its whereabouts."

Link started to limp after them, only to pause when he noticed Beth was still standing there, looking rather small. "Hey," he said, grabbing her attention. "Nice job."

"Oh..." Beth looked like she wanted to say more but then she just nodded before scurrying away. He watched as she quickly found Sturgeon and Orca before immediately scolding the both of them for trying to leave the baby with an already busy nurse.

* * *

It took a few hours of constant bickering, but eventually they managed to hammer out a plan. Depending mostly on Arlene's memories of which stations existed where when she was a young child, they picked out a few areas that seemed promising. From there Hadiya pointed out the ones she knew were destroyed from listening to her father's conversations with his army.

"So then," Zelda said, studying their crudely drawn map. "It looks like we're going north, through the mountains."

Arlene nodded. "It's the most likely place. Where better to hide it than in the nooks and crannies of the cliffs. Only the most determined would risk climbing up there."

"Alright then," Link said, clapping his hands together. "Who's going?"

"I am," Arlene said quickly. "Nobody knows their way around rocks better than me, plus there might be riddles or something and, no offense, but I'm the smartest here."

Poking his head up, from the other side of the cavern, Sturgeon glared at her. "Offense taken!"

"Stop listening in on our conversations, nosy busy-body!" Arlene shouted back. "How did you even hear me!?"

Sturgeon ignored her as he went back to whatever it was he had been doing before.

"Anyway..." Arlene continued, sending one last glare in Sturgeon's direction. "Sturgeon should come, his explosives might come in handy."

"I was planning on going anyway," Sturgeon shouted back, though by his face they could tell he really hadn't been.

Now it was Orca's turn to interrupt them. "If he's going I'm going, too!"

Sturgeon spoke up once again. "And if he's going I'm going!"

Suddenly Beth marched over to them, her hands on her hips. "Hey wait a minute, you wouldn't even be going if it weren't for me! I want to go, too!"

Sera's eyes widened as she heard her daughter's voice echo around her. "You can't go!" she protested.

Zelda rubbed at her forehead. "I miss my old office," she grumbled. "I'm tired of all this drama."

"And I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm useless!" Beth said heatedly. "I can help! I can!"

Zelda leaned closer to Arlene. "Please take her. She's driving me insane and she's only been here for a couple hours."

"Alright, alright!" Arlene shouted. "Listen up, because I'm only saying this once! I'm going, Sturgeon's going because we might need his technical know-how, Orca's coming because we need someone who runs slower than me in case there's trouble and I don't want to be the first to die-"

"Hey!" Orca shouted.

"And Hadiya's coming!"

Beside her Hadiya began to splutter. "I did not even volunteer!"

"Then consider yourself drafted," Arlene said calmly. "We need some good fighters, and quite frankly you're the best."

Hadiya scowled. "I will not argue that, but-"

"Good!" Arlene interrupted. "And that's it. A bigger group might attract attention."

Beth crossed her arms, a pout forming on her face as she stormed away.

Link leaned frowned. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

"The people that hid this thing are related to the Hero of Winds, and you said yourself that that family and I are linked together. I think I should go."

"You're still recovering from all those injuries!"

Zelda quickly spoke up before Link could argue. "I need you here, Link. I want a full report of what you saw inside that palace, and any information that you overheard." She pretended not to notice the grateful look Arlene shot her. "Besides, you going will just put the entire mission at risk; you'll slow them all down, and attract unwanted attention." She cast her gaze around the cavern, waving over Major Impacio. "Major, pack some supplies for these people. Make sure there's plenty of food and water."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Zelda turned back to the others, pointedly ignoring the furious expression on Link's face. "This journey of yours will take several weeks. In the mean time, I think we've learned enough from Sturgeon about his explosives to start digging tunnels of our own."

"What are you planning?" Hadiya asked curiously.

Zelda met her gaze. "I'm going to dig our way right to the Hylian district, and evacuate any survivors who are willing to come."

Link raised an eyebrow. "What about the ones that don't want to go with you?"

Zelda smirked. "I'll probably take them along, too."

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**Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 33: Catching Up

**Thanks, Nabooru'sapprentice, for reviewing! I'm super happy right now from your awesome review! I get seriously psyched when I hear people are thinking about my story when they're not reading it :-D  
****As for your question about Hibiscus: Yup, pretty much. As for your other question, about Ganondorf: *takes on Gollum's (from Lord of the Rings) voice* You will see! XD  
Also, don't think I haven't forgotten about _your_ fanfic, I'm hoping I'll have time to finally read it tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to reading it, and just wish I had had time earlier! ...Don't you just hate it when real life gets in the way of fun?**

**And now, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez lire!  
Disclaimer: I also don't own Iron Chef America, which is where I sort of stole most of the above line from... ^_^**

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Chapter 33

Catching Up

As they prepared to leave through the forest, Arlene turned back to face Linebeck and Byrne. "Now you two be good while I'm gone," she said, her voice worried as her hands fussed over Linebeck's shirt. "Do what Zelda tells you... unless it doesn't make sense, then just ignore her. Oh you know!" she grinned at Linebeck, who simply pulled her into a hug.

"Alright alright, I have to get going now..." she said, but even she refused to let go of the tall man.

Meanwhile Link was sulking, but he forced a smile onto his face as Orca and Sturgeon climbed up the ropes and joined him near the edge of the forest. Below them, in the cavern, the rest of the rebellion was still working on clearing out the rubble of the collapsed roof, and the early morning air was already filled with the loud noises of their tools clanging against the chunks of rock. Their voices, Gerudo and Hylian, mixed together as they shouted orders at each other and bickered over the best ways to clear out the cavern.

"Be careful out there," Link said, glancing into the forest.

"Don't worry about us!" Orca said cheerfully. He and Sturgeon were carrying most of the bags, but Link noticed that Sturgeon would every so often take one of his bags and throw it at Orca for him to carry.

"I'm too smart to carry so much!" he complained when Orca glared at him.

"Whatever, man. See you in a few weeks, Ed!"

Link waved as they started to march closer to the edge of the forest.

"I really do have to go now," Arlene said as she pulled away from her great-grandson. "Goodbye, Linebeck."

"Bye, Grandma."

"Link," Arlene said as she walked over to him. "Don't look so worried, we'll be fine."

"I wish I was going with you."

"Zelda needs your help, too, you know."

"I guess. ...Where's Hadiya?"

"I think she went on ahead, to make sure our map seems to scale."

"Oh."

She patted him lightly on the arm. "She'll talk to you again someday."

"You sure about that?" Link asked dryly.

"Fairly," Arlene responded with a shrug. She sighed when Link remained silent. "See you soon, Link."

Link watched as the three Hylians disappeared together into the forest. He listened carefully, waiting until their footsteps faded and the leaves stopped rustling around them before turning. Beth was behind him, looking just as annoyed at being left behind as he was.

She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I guess we can be useless together, huh?"

* * *

Arlene joined Hadiya, who was standing nearby and staring about her, her eyes resting on any leaf that moved even slightly. "The mountains are that way," Hadiya said, glancing down at the map Zelda had given her and then back up at the terrain.

Peering as far as she could around the large trees, Arlene gave a nod. "It will take a few days to get through this forest. Once we emerge, however, the mountains should be in sight."

They quickly set off, not wanting to waste any of their daylight. Hadiya and Arlene led the way, with Orca and Sturgeon taking up the rear. She could hear them arguing about something, though what they had managed to find to fight about so early in the morning was beyond her.

"Have you ever been to the mountains?" Arlene asked, pulling Hadiya from her thoughts.

"No. Have you?"

"Once, with my parents. We were looking for Gorons."

Hadiya frowned in confusion. "I have never heard of a such a person."

"Not a person, dear, a race. They used to visit Hylians all the time, but many decades before I was even born they stopped appearing; everyone thought they had returned to their nomadic ways and just left, but my parents always thought there might still be some up there in those mountains. They were determined to find out if there were, and if not then where they had gone."

"And did you find them?"

"Unfortunately, no. We had to turn back after just a few days, because my goof of a brother twisted his ankle trying to show off how high he could jump."

Suddenly Hadiya froze, her hand held up in a silent command for everyone else to stop as well.

"What is it?" Arlene whispered.

"Be silent," Hadiya hissed. "Gerudo," she said finally, pointing towards a collection of overgrown bushes.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

"Hey," Orca whispered as he joined them. "I don't want to be a worry-wart here or anything, but what if it's that monster thing?"

"There's no mist," Hadiya commented.

Without another word, Hadiya quickly drew her gun and ran silently towards the bushes. Orca and Sturgeon began to dump their bags onto the ground, and Arlene watched them as they started to get tangled up in the large straps in their rush.

"Stop moving so much!" Sturgeon complained as he tried to help his brother first.

"Stop it! You're making it worse!"

"_I'm_ making it worse!? You're the one wriggling about! Stay still!"

Finally Arlene turned back to watch Hadiya, easily tuning out the brothers' hushed argument.

"Show yourselves!" Hadiya called out, her pistol aimed directly into the suddenly still foliage. "Surrender and you will not be harmed!"

There was some grumbling from within the bushes, and then Captain Lucine and a few other Gerudo women climbed out, small, light green leaves tangled up in their bright red hair.

Hadiya heaved a sigh and holstered her gun. "What are you doing here, Captain Lucine?"

"Milady!" Lucine quickly snapped to attention. "Escorting you to the mountains!"

"I told you to stay with the others!"

"I... yes."

"So go back there and do as I say!" Hadiya said, but her voice had nothing but fondness in it.

"I must insist that we come with you, Milady, it's not safe."

"I'll be fine. You'll be putting us in more danger if you join us; we can't have too large a group running around under Ganondorf's nose. Now go and help Zelda with her evacuation plan for the city."

Lucine looked like she was about to start sulking. "Yes, Milady," she said quietly, her shoulders lower than usual as she started to march back towards the clearing. The other Gerudo followed quickly, looking just as disgruntled as their captain.

"Well then," Arlene said as Hadiya returned to the others. "Ready to get going?"

"Got it!" Sturgeon suddenly shouted. They looked at him in time to see all of the bags around both him and Orca suddenly fall to the ground. "It takes the cunning mind of a genius like me to unravel such a knot as that!"

"Great job, genius!" Arlene called out to him. "Now pick those up again, we're heading out!"

"...We are?"

Orca scowled as he started to pick up his bags. "We missed the entire thing!"

* * *

Zelda was kept busy that entire morning, issuing orders and making certain everyone was doing something as they prepared to sneak back into their city. By the time she managed to take a break she noticed Link and Beth were lurking about together, each looking just as sullen as they had been when Arlene and the others had left.

"Would you two find something to do already?" she snapped at them, marching over to their corner of the cavern.

Beth quickly scrambled off, but Link remained. He looked lost in thought, and it took Zelda a few snaps of her fingers before he finally moved his attention to her.

"What?" he asked, his voice sounding irritated and distracted all at once.

"Make yourself useful, Link. I want to start the first stage of our plan _before _we all die of old age."

"Well that probably won't take too much of a wait for _some_ of us," Link grumbled, scratching at the back of his left hand.

A glare formed on Zelda's face as she realized she had just been insulted. "Are you calling me old!? Watch it, brat! Last I checked you're still a member of the rebellion, and I'm pretty certain I'm still the general. Show some respect!" Her glare deepened when she noticed he was mostly ignoring her, with eyes gazing through her instead of at her and looking very faraway. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, and she noticed he was still rubbing at the back of his left hand, at the symbol of the Triforce that still lay on it. "There's something odd about this place. Don't you feel it? Ever since I got here this thing's been itching like crazy," he gestured towards the faded symbol of the Triforce on his hand.

Zelda's own gloved hand automatically flew to the rope around her neck and began to fidget nervously. "I feel fine."

Link shook his head. "No, Zelda, there's something wrong with this place. It almost feels... angry." He finally shoved his hands into his pant's pockets, to keep himself from rubbing his own hand raw.

"Angry," Zelda repeated doubtfully. "The forest? It's just a bunch of plants, Link, I don't think they feel anger. They don't really feel much of anything, actually."

Link, however, was ignoring her again.

"Oh whatever. Just stand there then; I suppose you should be resting anyway."

As soon as she left, Beth reappeared at Link's side. "I checked on Hibiscus just like you asked!" the girl whispered quietly. "She's with Mom, so she should be ok."

Link nodded slowly. "Good, thanks."

"So... when do we leave?"

Link glanced up towards the mouth of the cavern, letting the soft sunlight land on his face. "How about right now?"

Beth's eyes widened. "Now?" she squeaked. "We haven't even packed anything!"

"There's no time for that!" Link snapped impatiently. "I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen to them out there. We need to catch up as soon as possible."

"Alright, I guess," Beth grumbled.

Link strode towards the ropes that led out of the cave. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

Beth put her hands on her hips as she followed him. "Don't be stupid, Ed. I said I'd help and that's what I'm going to do!"

Link tugged at a rope, testing that it was secure. "We have to hurry then. They're already a half a day ahead of us."

* * *

Night fell, and it quickly became too dark for Arlene and the others to see where they were going. Settling down for the night, they soon had a small campfire going. As it crackled away cheerfully the small group tried to get comfortable.

"There's rocks everywhere!" Sturgeon complained, writhing about on top of his blanket with an uncomfortable expression on his face.

"Sturgeon, there's a few inches thick carpet of leaves under us. How could you possibly feel any rocks?" Orca asked.

"I feel them!" Sturgeon snapped back. "And who knows what might be growing in these leaves? Oh wait, I do! We'll be lucky to get out of this forest still alive with all the bacteria around us."

Hadiya sighed as a great weariness flooded through her, not from their long trek, but from the thought that the two Hylian men might just argue about stupid things all night long. "I will take first watch. The rest of you should try to sleep."

Glancing at Arlene she noticed the old woman was already fast asleep. The trip had been hard on her; she wasn't used to walking for such long amounts of time. With a last, worried look at the sleeping Hylian, Hadiya focused her attention on keeping a sharp eye on the edges of the fire light, looking and listening for any signs of movement. The voices of Sturgeon and Orca hummed in the background, filling the campsite with a steady stream of complaints and arguing. Just as she was beginning to wonder how useful those two were actually going to be on this quest, she noticed a small tendril of fog worming its way through the bushes towards their camp.

It moved slowly, almost cautiously, as it prodded its way closer to the fire. A few more tendrils followed it, and just behind them she saw a large wave of mist rolling along, following the tendrils.

"It's here," she whispered.

Quickly she jumped to her feet, kicking at the men in her party before reaching Arlene.

"Ow!" Sturgeon whined as Hadiya shook the old woman awake.

"What is that?!" Orca shouted as the tendrils of mist drew closer, followed closely by the thick fog.

Arlene blinked awake and sat up, staring at the mist. "I don't know," she said slowly. "But I think we should get a move on."

"Grab the gear!" Hadiya ordered as she moved to grab a few of the bags herself. "Go, Arly!"

Arlene quickly scrambled through some of the bushes, away from the approaching fog. Loud moans reached their ears, growing louder and more angry the closer the mist came. Arlene pushed away some of the heavier branches before holding them back, making as much room as she could for the others as they charged after her with their large bags in hand.

They ran through the forest, slipping on piles of leaves and just barely catching themselves in time as they flew through the darkness. The furious moans behind them followed closely; Hadiya tried to check in back of her, but it was too dark for her to see how close the mist was. A part of her wondered why no one had thought to pack even a single lantern, but the rest of her was too preoccupied with keeping up with Arlene. _"When did she get so fast?"_ the girl wondered as the aged woman weaved through the forest as if she had lived in one her entire life.

They had only been running for a few minutes when Hadiya felt something cold at her back. The mist had caught up to them. A second later the entire group was surrounded by cool air, and her sight of the trees and bushes completely disappeared, replaced by a still darkness. They were now completely surrounded by the fog.

"Stay close," she whispered, and she instantly felt Arlene practically attach herself to her side, tight hands squeezing at her arm. Nearby she could hear Orca and Sturgeon whispering at each other, but their voices were quickly overtaken by another moan from the creature hunting them.

"We need to keep moving," Arlene said quietly, releasing Hadiya's arm with one hand to seek out Orca and Sturgeon. Finding Orca's hand she gripped it just as tightly as she was holding onto Hadiya, and soon the four were stumbling through the fog in a tight chain.

Arlene had only felt this terrified once in her life, and that had been practically another lifetime ago. The rush of adrenaline she was feeling now was more than she knew her heart could take as it banged loudly and painfully against her chest. She made sure to keep her grip on Hadiya and Orca's arms; a blank darkness surrounded her, and she could barely see her own feet, so she knew that if she were to lose the three youngsters she would never find them again.

Suddenly she felt Hadiya's arm yank free of her grasp, as if something had forcefully pulled her away. With a startled gasp from the both of them, Arlene watched as Hadiya was pulled up into the air before disappearing into the darkness.

"Hadiya!" Arlene shouted.

Silence met her ears, and then suddenly they were no longer within the mist. Moonlight fell over them as the fog receded, swiftly pulling away from them and fading into the trees.

"We have to follow it!" Arlene said, tugging at Orca's arm as she set off.

"Are you insane!?" Sturgeon shouted, but he didn't try to stop Orca from pulling him along.

The mist was fast, and they very nearly lost sight of it a few times. Finally they managed to catch up to it. It had paused just under a very large, thick, and ancient looking tree; its roots had pushed back most of the other trees, so that all around it was a sizable clearing filled with only short tuffs of grass and drying bushes. There the mist remained, compressed into a tight sphere near the ground, thin tendrils swirling around it silently.

"Hadiya!" Arlene shouted into the mist, reaching out to touch the sphere.

"Careful!" Sturgeon's warning made her pull back. "We don't know what that is!"

"We can't leave her in there!"

Arlene glanced in back of her, where the two brothers were staring at the mist with matching expressions of helplessness.

Then the silence was interrupted. Hadiya's terrified scream filled the area, bouncing off the trees and piercing through the dark night.

* * *

Orca couldn't move. The scream continued, and he wished it would just stop already. He knew he should do something. Link would have probably already leaped in there, if he knew the idiot like he thought he did. So why couldn't he do that? Link had never been afraid to break the rules. That was pretty much how he had met him; he had been breaking the rules, and Orca had just gone along with it. He was the sidekick, that was all, and he had been quite happy to be just the sidekick. But now no one else was doing anything. Arlene and Sturgeon had their heads together, trying to work out some strategy or other on what to do with the thing. Whatever the thing was. But he knew that this was just one of those times where strategy wouldn't help.

He knew he should move. This was just like last time. He had left his best friend behind in that prison just because he had been too afraid to go against what the others around him were doing. He hadn't even gone back for him during the fire, because Beth had shouted it was too dangerous and they should just wait in the tunnel. Sturgeon had been the one to ignore her. Now, though, everyone was doing nothing again, and now he was probably the only one who could do something.

He knew he should move. So he did. He took a step forward. That was all he managed, as right after he took that step something pushed past him so forcefully that he fell to the ground. The figure that had shoved him moved with such a speed that he couldn't get a good look, but he did manage to catch himself in time to watch as it leaped directly into the mist, straight towards the sounds of Hadiya's fading scream. He gave a sigh of relief. Link was here.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope you all had a great weekend! See y'all tomorrow!**


	35. Chapter 34: Insanity

**Oh my gosh, you guys, I very nearly forgot I was supposed to post another chapter today! I've had such a crazy day; I needed to print out some stuff for my classes but the printers at my school weren't working (I have no idea why none of them were working, it's not like there's only one building...) so I had to rush out and buy my own printer, and finding a store open on Labor Day (that reminds me: Happy Labor Day to those who celebrate it! Do any other countries besides the US have a labor day type thing on this day? I know other countries have it, but not sure when) is, as you may or may not know, near impossible. But I have one now, and I just finished stapling together fifty copies of the same thing! Yay! ...Now I'm out of staples :-(  
I suppose this is what I get for procrastinating... I really should've printed that stuff out earlier.**

**Anyway... thanks to ft, Guest, and Nabooru'sapprentice for reviewing! You guys rock!**

**ft: Thank you very much, glad you're enjoying the story!**

**Guest: I think you'll find that your question will be mostly answered in this very chapter!**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: Hooray for Sturgeon finally getting a life! Lol!**

* * *

Chapter 34

Insanity

While Hadiya couldn't see anything beyond the thick, dark fog around her, she knew she was flying through the air at an incredibly fast rate. A cold wind slapped against her face, and she could hear the trees and bushes rustling as she was pulled past them. She couldn't feel anything gripping her, no hands or ropes, and yet something was forcing her away from the Hylians, and try as she might she couldn't escape from the fog. Her limbs felt heavy; she felt as if she were trapped inside a prison of steel rather than the mist she knew she was in. The angry moans continued, filling her ears with their fury all around her, even though she couldn't see who or what was actually making them. Then she stopped. She was still floating in the mist, but the wind was gone, and the forest fell silent.

"Release me!" she demanded.

"Suffering," a thousand voices shouted at her. "Sorrow. No regrets."

Hadiya tried to cover her ears to block the sound, but when she did the voices only grew louder. They echoed inside her mind as if they were all gathered inside her.

"I do not understand!" she shouted back, desperately trying to drown out the voices with her own.

"Killed us. A thousand blades. No help, no mercy. Now, Gerudo, you will understand our pain."

The voices transformed into a thousand needles, all pressing into her at once. "You will understand our suffering. You will know what you did to us."

Hadiya didn't even realize she was screaming until she felt her throat turn raw. As the needles dug deeper, images of people being slaughtered filled her mind. They were all Hylian, and as they fell she caught sight of her own people, their faces split with wide grins as their scimitars dripped with blood. She closed her eyes tightly, but the images persisted.

"Stop! Please!"

The voices ignored her.

Darkness was beginning to overtake the images racing through her vision. She could feel herself slipping away. Something grabbed at her hand, but she barely noticed it at first. Then she could feel the needles that had been digging into her hand disappear, as if whoever had grabbed her was shielding that one single hand. She focused on that, because everywhere else was burning. Whatever had grabbed her hand was now pulling at her, yanking at her arm with such force that a few times she thought it would be torn from her body. Trying to ignore the brutal scenes of murder that were still running on the backs of her eyelids, she tried to help whoever was there move her through the fog. She wasn't much help, however, and could barely twitch a finger as she felt herself slowly moving through the cloud of needles.

Then there was a humming sound, one that sounded familiar to her. It sounded sweet and almost melodic, despite the fact that it was only humming one tone. The needles and images instantly disappeared as the humming grew more intense, and Hadiya finally recognized it as a sound only a piece of the Triforce could make. Opening her eyes carefully, she was nearly blinded by an intense light that was wrapped around her. She forced her eyes to remain open and soon found Link. He was gripping her hand tightly with his left, and the symbol of the Triforce on the back of it was glowing. His face was set with grim determination, beads of sweat dripping from his brow as the light grew brighter.

The fog screamed at them; incoherent words filled her ears, and then it was gone. She could see the trees again, and the ground. The floor of leaves began to rapidly approach as she felt herself begin to fall, and she was far too tired to even care, never mind try to catch herself. But then Link caught her, stopping her from slamming to the ground as he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

Voices reached her ears. They were gentle, and not at all like the voices from the mist, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. They were speaking all at once, and far too quickly; she couldn't grasp onto a single word. Finally she saw the darkness returning. This time she let it take her, and she gratefully slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

The fire had passed the city hours ago, but Ganondorf could tell people were still shaken up about it. Even his own guards couldn't walk down a hallway without a few nervous glances towards the nearest window. He had managed to keep up the shield and save the city from the flames, but he imagined such a thing might seem intimidating to those who couldn't understand what it was. Even _he_ wasn't quite certain what had made his spell turn around on him like that.

With a shrug, he pushed the question out of his mind. Now was not the time to be thinking. Now was the time for doing. Something. Anything. Hadiya would know what to do. He quickly rushed back to the roof, where he knew she would be waiting.

"Any ideas?" he asked the empty air. He remained perfectly still, his head slightly tilted as if listening for something. Listening for something only he could hear. "There's no time for that, Hadiya. We need to find the Hero of Time and Zelda. Then we'll finally be in control of everything!"

He gazed out over the blackened field. "We might even be able to bring back those farms so we don't have to worry about food. If those new plots don't start producing something soon we might have to kill off a few Hylians... give us more food for the rest of us." He suddenly burst into laughter. "You're absolutely right, Hadiya! Anyway, I- wait, what's that?"

He pointed out to the forest. A large column of light was bursting from the branches, breaking through the darkness that had settled over his kingdom. "...A Triforce? The Hero of Time!" He listened for a moment and then nodded. "I agree! The forest does seem to be rather fond of picking on just Gerudo for some reason. Where's Impal? We'll send him. Quickly!"

* * *

When Hadiya awoke again it was already midday. Quiet voices came from somewhere to her side, but even though she could hear them the air felt deathly quiet. Perhaps her mind had still not managed to recover from all those voices that had been shouting inside it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was far too quiet. Nobody seemed to notice that she was awake yet, and so she remained where she was, trying to get a grasp on how different everything felt.

Finally she began to tune in to the conversation that was being held nearby. The voice that was currently speaking sounded familiar, and as she listened she managed to put a face to the tone. Link. Then she remembered that he had been the one to pull her out of that mist.

"...protecting something," Link was saying as she tried to forget the mist and refocused on the man's voice. It sounded different, and it took her a while to realize that it wasn't because her hearing was still messed up from her experiences in the fog. No, her hearing was practically back to normal now; already it was picking out birds and insects all around her. His voice sounded different, because it just was. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she had nothing else to do but listen, she noticed it was a bit harder than when they had separated in her father's palace, and just a bit colder.

"How do you figure that?" Sturgeon asked. "It sounds like just a bunch of angry ghosts to me."

Arlene cut in. "I hate to say it, Link, but I agree with Mr. Genius. From what you described, it sounds like somehow the forest here somehow collected the dead spirits of Hylians from Ganondorf's initial attack on these lands."

There was a pause and then Link continued. "But there was something else in there. When I was in there, there was anger, certainly, but also a sense of urgency. I think those spirits are here for a reason. Plus, the deeper I get into these woods the more I feel like there's something important here."

Arlene hummed thoughtfully. "It's been said that the Triforce can lead its bearers to important artifacts. But in this case I'm going to guess the feeling your getting is all from the spirits."

"Maybe." Link sounded reluctant, hinting to Hadiya that he didn't agree at all.

Before the conversation could continue a shadow fell over her, and Orca's face appeared in front of her vision. "Hey! You're awake!" he said happily.

"It's about time!" Arlene commented. Soon Orca's face was pushed away and replaced by Arlene's. "You had us worried for a while there, dear. How do you feel?"

"Fine," Hadiya replied, even though she felt far from it. Her skin was still tingling, as if expecting the needles to return at any moment, and her head was still pounding. What was it the Hylians said? That it felt like she had just been hit by a trick? Or was it truck? Hadiya nodded to herself mentally; that was certainly an accurate description of how she felt at the moment.

Arlene raised an eyebrow, seeing right through the lie. "Indeed. Well you should eat something anyway." The old woman helped Hadiya to sit up before leaning her against a nearby tree trunk.

"What happened?" Hadiya asked as her hands were stuffed with a sandwich and a canteen.

She watched Arlene exchange a look with someone off to her side somewhere; she felt too tired to even turn her head to see who it was.

"How much do you remember?" Link asked, answering the question of who Arlene had been looking at.

"I meant to the mist. What happened to it?"

"Oh. It's gone."

Arlene nodded. "For how long though, we're not sure. Spirits are tricky things to get rid of."

"But," Orca began. "If it comes back we've got Ed and his super power!"

Link snorted in amusement.

Sturgeon gave a huff. "We would've worked something out eventually. We were on to something!"

Arlene rocked back on her heels to glare at the man. "If Link hadn't shown up when he had, we would've been too late, half-baked plan or no."

"Half-baked!? I'll have you know I never half-bake anything! I-"

Orca quickly interrupted his brother before he could get too upset. "Hey, where's Beth anyway?"

Hadiya glanced around her. "Beth is here as well?"

"Well she _was_," Orca said as he peered about him, ignoring Sturgeon's angry glare over having been cut off.

As Hadiya joined his motionless search, she noticed that they were in a clearing of sorts. Most of the plants had been pushed back by large tree roots, leaving a thick carpet of dead leaves and only a few brave bushes that were struggling for life between the gnarled roots that raised parts of the ground in shallow hills. Shifting slightly she managed to turn and look behind her, at the tree she was leaning on. It was humongous, and most likely the reason the source of the giant roots. Its thick branches blocked out most of the sun, casting patterned shadows across the small group that were gathered underneath it.

"Where are we?" she asked, but Beth took this moment to reappear.

The young woman came crashing through the surrounding plant life and into their clearing, an irritated expression on her face as she dragged along behind her a very confused looking young boy.

"Byrne?" Link asked incredulously.

"Yes," Beth snapped as she gave the boy a small shove so he was standing in front of her. "I found him lurking around, he must have followed us!"

"Oh for the goddesses' sakes!" Arlene said with a sigh. "Don't tell me Linebeck's here, too!"

Byrne shook his head, and Arlene almost looked disappointed. "Just me!" Byrne squeaked out.

Link motioned for him to join them near the large tree. "How did you even keep up with us?"

Byrne glared at him, so he quickly gave up on getting an answer. Instead the small boy marched past him and joined Orca, who seemed completely fine with the idea of having an eleven year old boy join their party.

"Well then," Arlene said as she stood stiffly. "We don't have time to bring him back, so I guess you're stuck with us, little one. Anyway, now that things have settled down some, I would like to walk around this area and see if we can figure out where we are on this useless map of ours."

"I'll help with that!" Sturgeon said quickly, striding over to her.

"Oh good," Arlene said dully. "I could use someone to make me feel smarter than I already am."

"What!?" Sturgeon's head almost looked red as he started to splutter incoherently.

Orca quickly joined his brother. "Come on, big guy, calm down before you give yourself a headache. Again."

"Oh!" Beth quickly ran over to Arlene as she, Sturgeon, and Orca began to walk off. "I saw a river not too far from here! Maybe it'll help?"

"Lead the way, girly!" Arlene said cheerfully.

Link sat down on a root next to Hadiya, watching but not bothering to say anything as Byrne silently followed the small group. He placed his elbow on his knee and tucked his chin into his palm, tapping an erratic beat against the tree root with his other hand.

"Did you hear them?" Hadiya finally asked.

"What? Oh... the voices." Link's eyes drifted away from her for a while, and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he looked back at her with a small start, as if he had just remembered she was still there, waiting for a response. "A little. I sort of... felt them more than anything else."

"They are very angry at what happened to them," Hadiya said quietly, looking down at her only partially eaten sandwich.

"Yes, they are," Link said thoughtfully, looking about the clearing. "I wonder why they brought you here."

"Is it important?"

"Probably not." Link lifted his chin away from his palm and began to scratch absentmindedly at his Triforce symbol.

"There is a lot of anger. On both sides."

"Yeah," Link said distractedly.

"...How did you know it would work?"

"Would what work?" Link asked in confusion. The look in Hadiya's eyes, however, gave him his answer. "Oh." It was something they should have talked about sooner, and if he were perfectly honest with himself he hadn't been completely certain that pointing a gun to her head would have convinced Ganondorf to let them go. But he had been desperate; he had been so close to freedom, but then there _he_ had been, standing in their way, he knew he had to try something. Anything.

"Or maybe you didn't know?" Hadiya pushed.

"I knew," Link decided finally. "Ganondorf talks a lot. I think it's part of his torture; sometimes I was tempted to just give him the Triforce of Courage just to get him to shut up."

A ghost of a smile flitted across Hadiya's face, but it quickly faded. "I would not have thought it would work. I would have thought he would let me die."

"...Are you ok?" It was the only thing he could think to ask.

For a while Hadiya remained stationary, but then she began to slowly shake her head, and a spark of fury grew in her eyes. "What am I supposed to think, Link?!" she shouted. "First you point a gun at me, and then you save my life! First my father tries to kill me, and then he saves my life! I don't... understand anything anymore." She glared sharply at him when he began to stand. "Don't you even dare try to hug me," she hissed angrily.

Link slowly sat back down. "I'm sorry, Hadi," he said quietly.

"Sorry?" she repeated icily. Finally she looked into his eyes, and noticed that he really was sorry. She had never heard anyone apologize genuinely to her before. She thought back to the ghosts that were trapped in their eternal hatred of her people. _"It is not good to hold on to anger... of any kind."_

Hadiya stood shakily before joining Link on his giant tree root that was acting as an impromptu bench. They sat side by side, their shoulders gently brushing against each other. "So am I. We should not have left you there for so long."

Link smiled at her tiredly. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

There was a long moment of them merely sitting together, in companionable silence. It was Hadiya who finally decided to break through that quiet. "Are you really going to adopt Abril's daughter?" she asked curiously.

Link shrugged uncomfortably. "She asked me to, on her dying breath." His voice shook slightly as he finished that sentence, and he quickly cleared his throat before continuing. "It's sort of hard to go against something like that... So, I guess so."

"...I think you will make a good father."

Link snorted in amusement. "I guess I won't be the worst."

Hadiya chewed on her lip before deciding to ignore the jibe towards her father. "What was _your_ father like?"

"I don't know," Link replied casually as he let himself fall onto his back so he could easily stare at the large leaves rustling above them. A few grooves and bumps from the large tree root dug into his back, but he didn't bother trying to shift to find a more comfortable position. "I don't remember him, and my mother never talked about him."

"I see," Hadiya said quietly. "That is with me and my mother as well. She died when I was very young. I do not remember anything of her, but I would always imagine she was a very nice person."

"Was she... Hylian?" Link asked hesitantly; he was curious but wasn't sure if that was something one was supposed to ask or not.

Hadiya shook her head. "Gerudo."

Link's eyebrows shot up at this. "Really?"

"My father had been sealed away for so long, he didn't have to worry about being closely related to any of his people by the time he found them again."

"So... they were married?"

Hadiya rolled her eyes. "Gerudo don't waste their time with such silly nonsense as weddings. If you want to live together then just live together; that's how we see it. For my mother's part, I do think she loved him. Otherwise she would have never agreed to become his partner. ...I'm not certain about my father, though."

Suddenly her face was blocking out Link's view of the sky as she leaned over him, one of her hands landing by his side to help support her in the awkward position.

Link quirked an eyebrow at her.

"We have much in common, Link," she said.

"Yes, we do," Link replied with the same easygoing tone she was using.

"It is strange that we are friends, because I believe both our peoples have an expression that states only people who are opposites can get along."

Link gazed into her golden eyes, becoming suddenly quite aware of how little space was between them. He felt that blush creeping back over the back of his neck, the very same one he had gotten the last time she had stared at him like this, several months ago and several centuries ago, on the pier at Outset Island. "Well... maybe we just haven't realized how much we hate each other yet."

She laughed and then pulled away from him. "You are a very funny person, Link," she said as she returned to where she had been sitting before.

Link smirked. That had practically been the first thing she had ever said to him. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"What are you going to do when this is all over?"

"...Over," Hadiya repeated in an almost longing voice. She frowned as she considered the question. She thought of what her people would expect of her, and the fact that she was supposed to rule over the Gerudo once her father was gone. But then she thought of the ocean, and such a strong longing overtook her that she could easily see herself forsaking her duty to her people and living on a beach somewhere.

_"Maybe even..." _she thought to herself ever so slowly, reluctantly even, because she was almost afraid to even think the thought. _"Maybe Link would like the ocean, too." _She pursed her lips; her people wold need a leader, so if not her than who?

She scowled mentally; why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn't people just live the life they wanted to? "I don't know. I don't want to think about the future."

Link gave a quiet hum. "Well it's better than thinking about the past."

She turned her head to smile sadly at him. "I wish that..." she drifted off with a sigh.

Link sat up. "What?"

"I wish the world was different."

He watched as a very miserable expression began to settle onto her face and realized with a pang of regret that the comfortable moment between them was gone just as quickly as it had come. "Look, Hadi, I can't even imagine how confusing everything probably is for you right now, but we still have to defeat Ganondorf."

Hadiya looked back towards the ground. "Do we?" she whispered. Dispelling her anger at Link had taken something else as well, and she realized with an almost physical startle that she was actually beginning to forgive her father for all the misery he had put her through as a child.

"What?" Link asked, for she had spoken far too quietly for him to hear her.

"It is nothing."

"Hadi," Link began, nothing but concern in his voice now, but a low rumble interrupted him.

Hadiya looked up sharply. "What was that?"

"I don't know-"

Suddenly the ground beneath him began to shift. With a surprised shout he leaped to his feet. Hadiya clumsily scrambled to her own as well as the leaves underneath them shook along with the earthen floor.

Link quickly grabbed Hadiya's arm to hold her steady as they tried to move away from the shaking earth. Before they could reach safety, they suddenly found themselves standing on nothing. The ground fell away from their feet, leaving nothing but air and a dark pit. Then they began to fall.

* * *

**Whew! Three chapters in a row! Now we can finally return to the old schedule, so I'll see you all Wednesday! Thanks for reading!**


	36. Chapter 35: What Luck

**Hi, guys! How is everyone today? A big thanks to Guest for reviewing! Your review made me lol :-D**

**Also, another big thanks to the person who is now following and who added this to their favorite stories! Y'all just make so super happy!**

* * *

Chapter 35

What Luck

They were lost. Beth had led them along a random path, turning here and there in what felt like opposing directions, and yet somehow they managed to make progress through the shaded forest. Glancing in back of her with a worried expression, Beth tried to remember which way she had gone to see the river.

"Um..." she muttered nervously, turning towards another direction yet again.

"Well this is just great!" Sturgeon complained. "How could we possibly get lost? Where's that stupid big tree we were at before? How could we possibly lose sight of that!?"

"Would you calm down," Orca said. "The tree is back in that direction." He pointed casually in back of him, but Sturgeon just glared at him.

"How do you know? Since when did you have a good sense for direction?" He glanced towards Arlene. "Don't _you_ have anything to say about all this!?"

Arlene was quite content to ignore Sturgeon however, as she introduced the different plants around them to Byrne, explaining how some were once used in different medicines when she was young. Byrne listened without interruption, his young brain absorbing every ounce of information she gave him.

"Well that's just perfect," Sturgeon muttered. "Ok, I guess it's time for me to save the day then! Time out, everyone!"

"I'll figure it out!" Beth whined, but she slowed to a stop when she noticed all the others had already given up on following her. "What are you doing?" she asked Sturgeon when he began to rummage about in one of his bags.

"I'll need something metallic," he said, poking his entire head into the bag when he couldn't feel for what he was looking for.

"I have a hair clip," Beth offered, pulling the aforementioned jewelry piece from her hair.

"Here we are!" Sturgeon suddenly reemerged from his bag, a small magnet in his hand. "Time to make a compass!"

"You can make those?" Orca asked.

"Of course I can make one!" He pointed at himself, "Genius here! Try not to forget it. Now, hand me that hair clip!"

Beth watched as he quickly set to work on crafting his very own compass. "You're really smart!" she said in awe.

"Well, yes, of course I am," Sturgeon said casually, but his face was soon sporting a large smile. "There we are, done!"

Arlene looked away from the leaves she had been pointing out to Byrne. "Way to go, Mr. Genius! Now which way was that tree? North? South?"

Sturgeon's smile fell. "Uh..."

He glanced up, back into the forest, and realized he had no idea which way they had started walking, because he hadn't had his compass from the very beginning.

"I'm telling you, it's that way!" Orca insisted, pointing in a completely different direction than where he had before.

"Hey, Sturgeon," Beth began hesitantly. "Is a compass supposed to act all weird like that?"

Sturgeon looked back down and noticed that the hair clip was swinging about in a hectic manner, at times it would even rotate in a complete circle.

"I don't think you built it right," Orca commented, reaching out to touch it.

"Back off, man!" Sturgeon snapped, moving the compass away from his brother's finger. "There's something here messing up the magnetic field!"

"What might cause that?" Arlene asked, suddenly more interested.

"Well, there's a number of possibilities, of course," Sturgeon muttered, staring at the compass.

Beth leaned closer. "Like?"

"Like... well..." Sturgeon glared at the forest. "There's nothing here that could do that! It's all just plants!"

"Be quiet!" Arlene suddenly snapped, raising one of her hands in front of her. "Listen."

A low rumble met their ears, and above them a few branches shook slightly, sending their autumn colored leaves down towards the ground.

"What was that?" Beth whispered.

"Earthquake?" Sturgeon suggested.

"It came from that way, I think," Orca said, pointing.

"Then let's shake a leg!" Arlene said before marching off.

The others quickly followed; Sturgeon took up the rear, fidgeting with his compass and grumbling under his breath the entire way. They soon reached the large tree where they had left Hadiya and Link, noticing that they hadn't been that far from it at all. It took them a moment to spot the large gaping hole just under the tree, tangles of roots protruding from it in haphazard angles.

"Hey!" Orca shouted as he raced to the hole. He peered down into it, shading his eyes against the light in the forest so he could better see into the darkness below. "Hello?"

"See anything?" Sturgeon asked, beginning to fumble through another one of his packs.

Orca shook his head. "It's way too dark, I can't even see where the bottom is." He took a deep breath and then began to shout into the hole. "Hey! Anyone down there?"

"Orca?" Hadiya's voice responded; it reached their ears clearly, hinting that maybe the bottom wasn't so far down after all.

"You alright?"

"Yes. We are in some sort of... hallway."

Arlene raised an eyebrow. "Did she say hallway?"

"Link went on ahead to investigate. There is a door in sight, he went through just a few minutes ago."

"Here we are!" Sturgeon suddenly yanked a long piece of rope from his pack. "Here," he said as he threw an end to Orca. "Tie that to that tree over there. Hey, Hadiya! We'll lower down some rope so you can climb back up."

Arlene patted Sturgeon on the shoulder so he would move over. "Do come up if you want, dear," she called down to Hadiya, "but I think the rest of us are going down there."

"We are?" Sturgeon began to wring his hands together. "Is it safe down there?"

"I see nothing of threat," Hadiya replied.

"...Does that mean it's safe for the rest of us?"

Orca rolled his eyes. "I'll go down first if it makes you feel better."

"Well if you're going first then so am I!" Sturgeon snapped impatiently.

"We can't both go first! There can only be one first!"

Sturgeon was about to reply when he noticed Arlene was already scooting herself over the edge, the rope held tightly in her hands.

"I'm coming down!" Arlene called.

"Well then," Sturgeon said sulkily. "I guess she's going first."

"Fine, then I'll go second."

"Well if you're going second then so am I!"

While the two siblings struggled to work out who would go before the other, Beth, Arlene, and Byrne joined Hadiya down the hole. As soon as Arlene's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that Hadiya had been correct in calling what they were now in a hallway. A stone floor lay at her feet, crumbling in certain places due to the roots but still remarkably intact given the age she suspected it to be. Around them grew walls of more stone intertwined with more roots; the ceiling, which was of the same material, looked to be in the worst condition, which was probably why it had collapsed on them in the first place.

"Incredible," Arlene breathed.

"Where are we?" Beth asked loudly, her voice echoing and startling a small group of bats from their perch. She gave a small squeak of surprise and then inched closer to Hadiya.

Arlene ran her fingers over part of the wall. "Judging by the type of stone here, I'd guess it's some sort of temple."

"A temple?" Beth repeated doubtfully, this time making sure her voice was quieter. "In the middle of the woods?"

Arlene shrugged and then pointed down the hall, towards a large, heavy looking door. "That's where Link went?"

Hadiya nodded. "He suggested that I wait here, incase more Hylian spirits are lurking deeper in."

"Of course!" Arlene slapped a hand to her forehead. "Arly, you're getting slow in your old age," she scolded herself. "This temple is probably how those ghosts exist in the first place. It must have... collected the dead souls somehow, or maybe its sacredness merely attracted them all here. Who knows, maybe whatever's in here attracting the spirits is what's messing up Sturgeon's compass."

As Arlene continued to theorize as to what was attracting the ghosts, Orca and Sturgeon finally appeared. Orca slid down first, a smug expression on his face as Sturgeon followed closely behind.

Arlene paused in her private mutterings long enough to greet them. "Good job, Mr. Genius! You worked out who should come down here first in record time!"

Sturgeon shot her a withering look, though since he had yet to adjust to the darkness he ended up looking somewhere over her shoulder.

"What is this place?" Orca asked.

"We already talked about it!" Beth complained. "I think we should find Ed!"

Before anyone could agree, the door cracked open. It wasn't a typical door that swung open on hinges, and instead was made to slide downwards, into the floor; it was a strange contraption, and as it slowly moved the sound of gears could be heard, working noisily. A crack of light broke between the ceiling and the top of the door, widening as the heavy stone moved further down. Then the gears ground to a halt, and the door stopped halfway down with a large number of clacks and groans that hinted whatever had been moving the door was now broken.

There was the sound of someone scrambling around on the other side, and then Link's face appeared in the gap, its too narrow features illuminated by a frame of the bright light.

"Hey, guys! ...The door's kind of stuck, but it's safe in here if you can climb over it. Oh! Arlene, you're here, good! I found some stuff in here I think you'd like to see."

* * *

The tunnels were nearly complete, however as they got closer to the city Zelda decided that they should slow their progress. While she was eager to get to the rest of her people before Ganondorf did something worse to them than burning all their crops, she also knew that too many explosions underground would probably attract attention.

So now they were only working durning certain hours, when they knew the city would be at its busiest - and noisiest.

"General!"

Looking up from her map of the city, Zelda caught sight of Major Russ making his way towards her from their newest tunnel.

"How's it going in there?" Zelda asked, tossing him a canteen.

He raised it in thanks before tipping its contents into his mouth. "We're taking a break now, but I think we'll be there by early evening." He leaned over the stone table and tapped a finger on the map. "We're about here right now."

"Very good. We'll complete the tunnel and then wait for nightfall before beginning the evacuation."

"Yes, ma'am." Russ looked about him. "Where'd Byrne get to?"

Zelda sighed. "Probably ran off to wherever Beth and Link went. Linebeck looked around for him, but that kid is good at not leaving a trail."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be fine..."

Zelda gave a grunt of amusement before continuing to study her map. Despite her attempts to concentrate, her gaze kept flicking towards the other maps that lay scattered about. One in particular continually caught her eye; it was the map of Hyrule, and as Zelda stared at it she couldn't help but try to guess at where Arlene and the others were at that moment. If they were lucky, nearly out of the forest and at the mountains by now. If they were lucky. With another sigh Zelda turned away from the maps.

"Get some rest, Major," she ordered as she began to walk towards the tunnel. "I want you on the evacuation team with me."

"Really?" he asked excitedly. "I mean... yes, ma'am! I'll be ready!"

As Zelda moved down the tunnel to check on its progress herself, her mind drifted off to other places. Once they had all left the city, what then? Maybe... they should just leave. Let Ganondorf rule over his precious city of Gerudo, and find a better place to live for what was left of Hyrule. Even as the thought entered her mind she shoved it out with a harsh fury.

_"I can't just give up. This is _our_ home, not his. Not theirs. And I made a promise that I still have to keep."_ She nodded to herself. That promise she had made, so long ago, still had yet to be fulfilled. Ganondorf and all his Gerudo followers had to die. Every single one of them.

She suddenly froze at the mouth of the tunnel; she could feel her Triforce piece against her chest, burning with a sudden warmth as if it were trying to scold her.

_"Oh... you. I guess you'll never come back to me while I'm still keeping to that promise."_

She chewed on the inside of her lip for just a moment before yanking at the cord around her neck. It came free with a snap, and soon she was dangling the small triangle in front of her face, where it was glowing dimly.

_"Well if they find that Light Bow I probably won't need you anyway,"_ she thought to it disdainfully. _"And if they don't... I'm still not giving up what I am just for you."_ With a flick of her wrist, the sacred item went flying through the air. It landed a moment later on a pile of rubble, where it quickly slipped and disappeared underneath a few chunks of rock.

_"Goddesses be damned, we can save ourselves."_

* * *

Finally the tunnel was completed. Night fell, and as the sound of crickets replaced most of the blaring city noises, Zelda knew it was time. They were just under the register, and as Zelda climbed up from their tunnel she wondered if Arlene would be annoyed at them for ruining her floor. With a roll of her eyes, she realized the old woman probably would be.

"Alright, we all know what to do," Zelda said quietly as the rest of her small team climbed out after her. "Get to your positions and start waking people up. If anyone gives you trouble just knock them out and carry them... Ganondorf's not going to be too happy when he sees most of them gone, and if we leave anyone behind we might as well have killed them ourselves."

A row of heads nodding told her they all understood, and soon they were slipping out of the register and out to the dilapidated buildings that were filled with Hylians. Zelda hung back, making sure everyone was heading to where they were supposed to go, and then quickly moved towards her own location. It had taken longer than she had thought it would to work out the best paths each should take, as the district wasn't all that organized, but eventually they had managed it. Together they had the most effective route, and the entire district should be empty long before morning. If they were lucky.

Zelda reached the first house along her route and quickly marched up the creaking porch steps before rapping her gloved knuckles lightly against the door. At first nothing happened, and she was about to try again when a light flickered on in the upstairs window. Glancing in back of her, she saw similar occurrences happening at a few other houses around the district.

The door swinging open brought her attention back to her own house. "Good evening," she said, smiling behind her bandana.

"It's the middle of the night," a still half-asleep man grumbled, rubbing at his balding head and clutching a long bathrobe around himself.

"Yes. It is. It's also time to leave."

"What?" The man blinked, and then he noticed her clothes, and he instantly became more alert. "A rebel!? I thought you all died! Look..." he glanced around the quiet district. "I don't want any trouble, so just keep going, ok?"

"Sir, you misunderstand me. We have a safe and easy way out of the city."

"...Out? Of the city?"

"Out of the city," Zelda repeated.

"But... where out of the city? The entire field out there is burnt black. There's no farms to work."

"Not to the fields," Zelda said, shaking her head quickly. "Not anywhere under Ganondorf's control. Out of the city, to safety."

"...Out of the city?" the man asked again, his brain unable to grasp the idea.

"We have food," Zelda suggested, realizing that he wasn't looking swayed.

"Really?" The man's eyes lit up at that before he glared at her suspiciously. "How much?"

Zelda resisted the urge to sigh at him. Just how long was this one house going to take? "Enough for everyone here. We have a hideout in the forest, there's lots of plants that we're finding edible, and birds, and all sorts of other creatures."

The man frowned again. "I don't know..."

"Oh for crying out loud, I don't have time for this," Zelda muttered. She made to turn away and leave before suddenly swinging back, bringing her fist hard against the man's head. He collapsed into a heap on the floor, and soon Zelda was dragging him along, back to the register. "Your neighbors better be less suspicious, or this is going to get real annoying, real quick," she grumbled to the unconscious man.

The rest of the night passed in a similar manner, though as Zelda progressed deeper into the district she found more people were willing to trust her and leave on their own, without her having to help them along. Eventually she came across a house that held the receptionist. The green haired woman was quick to recognize Zelda, and even quicker to boss her parents out of the house.

"It's a good thing you came when you did," the young woman whispered as she ushered the elder Hylian couple into the night air. "Rumors are going around that the Gerudo are planning on killing some of us to help ration food. ...How's Arlene?" the young woman asked hesitantly.

"Last I saw of her, just as tiresome as she always is."

With a smile on her face, the woman quickly joined her parents. "Good luck, and thank you!" she called behind her before leaving.

"Why can't you all be like her?" Zelda asked the next house rhetorically as she approached it. "Such a nice, well behaved, young girl."

Morning was just beginning to break when they were finally clearing the last few houses. Zelda's last family had been particularly stubborn, thinking it was some sort of loyalty test cooked up by the Gerudo, and she had ended up having to recruit Russ to help her out. Just as the first few rays of sunlight peeked over the tall buildings, the last of the Hylians finally disappeared into the register.

"Let's do one more check," Zelda instructed her people as they gathered near the register's doorway. "Just to be on the safe side. Once you're done head back through the tunnel, we'll regroup on the other side. Major!"

"Ma'am?"

"As soon as everyone's through I want that tunnel collapsed. It's too risky to leave open."

Russ nodded and ran back towards the tunnel, to get what he needed to collapse it.

The check through the district went fairly quick, and after just a few minutes had passed Zelda was certain no one had been left behind. She took a moment to stand in the middle of the area, letting the silence absorb her. Already the rest of her rebellion were walking back into the register, ready to head to their temporary home in the Lost Woods.

It was during that moment of silence that she heard the familiar click of a large rifle being cocked. The click had sounded slightly off to Zelda, as if the gun hadn't been made properly, but instinct had her turning and aiming her gun before she could give too much thought to it. Behind her stood a small Gerudo girl, probably not much older than nine. As Zelda's gun trained on her head, the little girl quickly dropped the rifle in her hands, letting it clatter noisily against the ground.

"It's not real!" the girl protested quickly, gesturing to the gun on the ground. "It's just a toy."

"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked suspiciously. While she had yet to see someone so young in the Gerudo military, she wouldn't put it past them.

"I came to play with my friend! Have you seen her?" The tiny red head began to turn wildly about as golden eyes took in the empty district. "Hey... where is everyone anyway?"

It was some sort of trick, it had to be. Every part of Zelda was screaming at her to just fire her gun and get out of there. She very nearly did. But then the girl looked back up at her, and the round face and large, curious eyes suddenly transformed; right in front of her face, the golden eyes turned violet, and the red hair turned blonde, and suddenly it was her daughter standing before her, smiling her big toothy grin that Zelda only ever saw in her dreams. Zelda breathed in sharply and blinked a few times. The image faded, and there was the little Gerudo girl again.

"Go home," Zelda said gruffly, holstering her gun.

The little girl crossed her arms over her chest. "You're awfully bossy for a Hylian!"

"That's because I've got a real gun," Zelda replied dryly.

"Oh... uh..." She considered this for a moment and then quickly snatched her toy from the ground and sped off.

With an unamused snort, Zelda began to head back towards the register herself. She managed to take a few steps closer before a new sound interrupted her once again. It was the sound of a gun, a real gun this time, being fired. Impulse drove Zelda to the ground just as a bullet raced over her head from somewhere along the rooftops, disappearing harmlessly into the wood of one of the houses. _"Damn it, I knew that kid was some sort of trick! Probably to stall..."_

"Gerudo!" Zelda shouted, though it probably wasn't necessary.

Zelda pulled out her own gun and fired it haphazardly in the direction she had heard the other gun being fired. It was a sloppy shot, but it wasn't her intention to hit anyone; she had to get back to the tunnel before they were overrun, and all she wanted to do was slow the enemy down a bit.

She saw the rest of her team already racing for the register, Gerudo bullets chasing after them as they shot in back of them just as chaotically as Zelda was. They were closer to the building, and made it inside when Zelda herself was still only halfway there. She dodged between buildings, catching glimpses as she went of the Gerudo running along the rooftops, all in their thick armor. With a flicker of annoyance, she realized that they had stolen her old tactics of roof hopping. She was nearly to safety when a large figure stepped in front of the register's door, blocking her way.

She didn't have time to get a good look at the figure as she quickly fired a shot towards it, hoping whoever it was would fall before she got there so she could just jump over it. Instead the bullet she fired suddenly stopped and fell to the ground harmlessly. The figure was still there, and Zelda was forced to slide to a stop before she crashed into it. The grinning face of Ganondorf met her eyes, and then she understood why her bullet hadn't done anything.

"You," Zelda snarled. She knew it wouldn't do any good, but she fired a few more rounds at him anyway.

"Hello there, Zelda," Ganondorf said cheerfully, barely even waving his hand to deflect the bullets.

"Blow the tunnel!" Zelda shouted past Ganondorf, into the building. She knew Russ would hear her.

Ganondorf seemed to know the same thing, as he hissed at her before whirling around, intending to march inside to stop him from collapsing the escape route. Before he could even take another step there was a rumble, and as the building shook Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. They were all safe, every single one of her people. For not, anyway.

Turning around sharply, Ganondorf began to shout out orders to his army, his eyes bulging and bloodshot. "And as for you," he said sharply as he looked at Zelda. "First I want to know how you hid the fact that you have Wisdom from me... even now I can't sense it inside you... and then... I'll be taking that piece of yours for myself."

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**Thanks for reading! **


	37. Chapter 36: Riddles

**A big huge thanks to Nabooru'sapprentice, triforce theory, tri, and pou for reviewing! To the review reply mobile! **

**Nabooru'sapprentice: In reference to your question about Link and Hadiya: what a great question! My answer is 'I ain't sayin' nothin'!' Spoilers and all that ;-)**

**triforce theory: About your question, you'll find out soon! Also, I definitely agree with you about the Triforce not caring about good and evil. And ha! I used to love Courage the Cowardly Dog! ...Is that cartoon still going? Me and my brother used to shout "Watch where you're going, you fool!" to pretty much every single person we happened to see, lol.**

**tri: Great question! I wish a had a great answer! It's never really stated in any of the games that the Triforce ended up going back to the Sacred Realm after Wind Waker, so I sort of took advantage of that. My thinking was that the pieces just sort of floated around for a long while, waiting for the right time to return to their respective carriers. It was just one of those "mysterious ways of the goddesses" type things. So... yeah, not the best explanation, but it's what made this story possible so I went with it, lol! I also do like to leave some things open, for the readers to fill in with their own imaginations (I always think that's fun when other writers do that, so I've been trying to do the same lately).**

**pou: Where have you heard this? That sounds fascinating! Is that a rumor for the new Zelda game?**

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Chapter 36

Riddles

There were several precious artifacts within the room that Link had found in the old temple. Arlene felt like a little kid again as she skipped from item to item, cataloguing them in her mind even as her eyes were drawn to the next one. Vases, statuettes, even a few paintings; all lay scattered on the floor and on large tables in the center of the room.

The room itself was unremarkable, the walls, floor, and ceiling made up of the same stone as the hallway. There were a few torches high up along the walls that were already lit; according to Link, they had lit themselves the minute he stepped inside. Every so often they would sputter as a cloud of dust drifted into the flames, but they remained unextinguished and continued to send a warm light across the room.

"Take a look at this," Arlene said with wide eyes as she held up a vase. "Real Hylian craftsmanship. Oh!" she clapped a shaking hand to her mouth. "It's been so long since I've seen it."

Hadiya tilted her head as she joined Arlene, studying the item. "It is a bit... lopsided there."

Arlene glared. "It's done that way on purpose, girly! It's because... because... oh forget it. It's not the best quality, but it's still pure Hylian so knock it off!"

Hadiya raised her hands in a placating gesture, sharing an amused glance with Link. He was busy investigating the rest of the room, tracing his way along the edge of the walls and looking for another door. Orca soon followed suit, starting at the other end of the room.

Arlene gave another sigh of pure bliss. "Oh I've forgotten how much I miss this. Once this is all over I'm going to start my old job again."

Link smiled fondly but didn't stop in his search of the room's walls. "Planning another boat trip already?"

"You betcha!"

A smile began to slowly grow on Hadiya's face as well. "If you would require any help with traveling the ocean-"

"For crying out loud, girly, if you want to come along just ask!" Arlene interrupted. "Anyway, look at me, does it look like I could sail a boat on my own? Of course you can come! Linebeck, too. It'll be fun."

Hadiya clapped her hands together gleefully. "What of you, Link?"

"I think we should stay focused on the stuff that's a little more closer to the present for now," Link muttered distractedly, still searching the walls.

"Oh come now," Arlene scolded. "Just say yes. Nothing beats sailing around, looking for artifacts! You can even bring Hibiscus along for the ride. Archaeological expeditions are educational. Oh! Link, look at this!"

Link finally turned to look at her, only to find her holding up a long, dark green tunic and strange looking hat. He raised an eyebrow at it. "What's that for?"

"What do you mean, what's it for!? This is the traditional garb of the legendary heroes of old!"

Link glared at Orca when the man began to snicker from the other side of the room.

"It looks like it would fit you," Hadiya said with a large grin.

With a sigh, Link looked back to Arlene, who was still holding the outfit up and smiling at him.

"I think it would!" Arlene agreed.

"Yeah... I'm _not_ wearing that. I'd look ridiculous."

Arlene began to pout. "Not even the hat?"

"...No."

"Oh fine. Be that way." She muttered something that sounded an awful lot like "spoil sport" before putting the old tunic and hat back where she had found them.

"Where did all this stuff even come from?" Beth asked curiously as she reached out to brush her fingers against one of the paintings.

"Don't touch that!" Arlene snapped suddenly. "The oils on your fingers might damage something."

"Sorry! Hey... you're touching everything!"

"That's because I know what I'm doing!" Arlene argued, but she set down the statuette she had been holding all the same. "But... in answer to your question... I have no idea."

Sturgeon suddenly looked rather smug. "I have a theory!"

"Oh?" Arlene asked doubtfully. "What is it, Mr. Genius?"

"The Hero of Winds! Or at least... one of his descendants. We know from Abril that her... was it her grandfather? Anyway, the man disappeared during Ganondorf's initial attack, so maybe he knew it was bad news and decided to hide as much stuff as he could."

"That's ridiculous!" Arlene replied, but her voice sounded uncertain.

"Maybe not," Link's voice interrupted their conversation.

Looking up, Arlene caught sight of the young man holding up a small book he had found.

"What is that, Ed?" Beth asked.

Link flipped it open and scanned over the first page it opened to. "A diary. Written by Abril's great-grandfather."

He moved to join the others, and as they quickly settled close to one of the torches Link began to read.

_Hyrule has already fallen. Ganondorf's return was far too fast for anyone to do anything. The Tower of Spirits was all but destroyed. There is some magic left within to protect it, but by all appearances it is gone. I tried to use the Light Bow, but could not get close enough. There were far too many. I failed. I let a Gerudo get too close, and suffered a fatal wound because of it. I made certain my daughter and her family was safe, and now I have come here, to the Forest Temple, with as many Hylian objects as I could find. I suspect most will not survive, and if Hyrule ever manages to find a way to free itself, they will want some of its history._

_The Light Bow... is here with me. No doubt I will be dead by the time you read this, but if you seek me, reader, you must prove your Hylian lineage. Find me, and you will find another piece of this land's history. I can only pray that it will still be of use to you._

_And there lies your first clue. To find me, First you must seek the land's Heritage. Find that, and you are close._

Link looked up excitedly. "The Light Bow is _here_."

Orca, however, wasn't sharing his enthusiasm. "But there's a riddle. That's just great. What's Hyrule's heritage?"

Arlene tapped a forefinger against her chin. Link noticed her thoughtful expression and an idea began to grow in him. "You don't think..."

Arlene raised an eyebrow. "It could very well be."

"Would it even still work?"

Beth placed her hands on her hips. "What!?"

Arlene and Link looked at her, both their eyes burning with excitement. "A train."

Sturgeon cackled. "That's perfect! Most of the tracks are useless now, so of course _now_ we find the stupid thing. Well... I guess we need to start looking for this temple's train station."

"Then let us continue searching!" Hadiya said excitedly. "Onwards to adventure!" As she quickly left the room, Link was briefly reminded of how the Gerudo used to be when they had first met. There had been that same excited glint in her eyes then, as if exploring the market by herself had been the most interesting thing she had ever done.

As the group began to follow after Hadiya, they didn't even notice that Byrne seemed to be frozen in place. He stared down at the diary before reaching out a small hand. His fingers brushed gently against some of the words, tears swimming in his vision as he read them. _...suffered a fatal wound..._

"I think... I knew your ancestor..." the boy whispered. He clapped a hand to his forehead, his fingers curling into his hair and tugging harshly.

"Come on, Byrne!" Beth's voice shouted across the room.

Byrne's hand instantly dropped, and diary seemingly forgotten he quickly ran to catch up.

"...And all we have to do is find some train tracks and then follow them!" Sturgeon was saying as he scrambled over the door and back into the hallway.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Orca's voice replied from the other side. "How big could this place be?"

As it turned out, very big. After they returned to the dark hallway, they wandered down in the other direction. Before they even reached the door at the other end they passed several other doors, most of which refused to open for them.

Arlene was grumbling under her breath as she examined some of the doors they had already walked past. "Some of these look newer than others. I think there were more rooms added on after the original temple was built."

"Then..." Hadiya began. "We should only search the older rooms. Since the train station would have been built at the same time as the original temple."

Link gave a half shrug. "That narrows it down a little, at least." He kicked out at one of the doors. "This one?"

Arlene sighed. "Why not?"

As Link began to search the wall around the door, Sturgeon looked on with an annoyed expression. "There's no handles on this thing. How are we supposed to open it!?"

Link glanced over his shoulder at him. "The last door had a switch next to it."

"A switch? Why would they bother with that? Things like that break down! They should've just stuck with tried and true door handles! There's fancy high-tech and then there's just common sense!"

Link took a few steps back, away from the door. "I don't see anything like that here, though..." As he stepped back a little more he felt the floor underneath his feet sink slightly. "Whoa!" he quickly leaped away, but the floor remained depressed. A moment later the sound of gears turning echoed about the hallway, and soon the door before them began to lower.

Sturgeon scratched at his head. "What's the point of that?"

"Let's just be glad it still works," Arlene commented.

There was no light to greet them this time as the door slid to the floor. A musty smell escaped from the room and quickly surrounded them as they cautiously stepped into the dark room. The instant their feet touched the floor of this new room, several torches burst into flame. Their new lights revealed another hallway that was covered with cobwebs and mold.

This hallway looked much shorter than the first one they had been in, and there was only one door set at the other end. The group quickly made their way towards this door, stopping short when a scratching noise filled the hall.

"What is that?" Beth whispered, clutching tightly to Byrne's hand as the noise grew louder.

Orca just happened to look up to the ceiling when the noise stopped. Just above them was a large spider, its back shaped to look like a white skull. Orca's eyes met with the spider's for a brief moment, right before the spider suddenly swung down towards them on a long rope of web, sharp looking pincers clacking hungrily.

"Look out!" Orca shouted, jumping backwards to avoid becoming the giant spider's next meal.

The others scrambled out of the way just in time, and in the next moment they were blocked from the door by the large creature, whose bulk took up the entire width of the hallway. It continued to swing in front of them, clacking its pincers angrily as its eyes stared at them. Every so often it would shake its entire body at them, as if warning them to keep away.

"Ew!" Beth shrieked. "What is that thing, it's so gross!"

Hadiya and Link glanced at each other before pulling their guns from their belts and each firing a single shot at the creature. It gave a surprised squeal and then collapsed to the ground, curling its legs over its stomach stiffly. A second later it was perfectly still.

"That was disgusting!" Beth complained as the group carefully stepped over the giant spider.

Behind them they could hear a few more scratchings from other spiders, but they reached the door with no further interruptions. This door was easier to open, as the switch to activate it was in obvious sight on the wall. As they stepped into the next room, more torches lit around them.

The flames sprang up first next to the door, and then quickly spread along the walls, revealing a giant room. It was so large that it was impossible to see the wall at the far end; all they could make out was a few lights bobbing in the distance. The center of the room was much easier to make out, and it was that that instantly grabbed their attention. The floor dipped down, towards a set of train tracks that were covered in dust and rusting in some places. They led out of the room, down a long tunnel that seemed intact as far as they could tell. But there was more resting on the tracks than just dust. In the very center of the room lay a large train, with red, blue and green paint peeling and cracking along its surface.

"Oh my goddesses," Arlene said in awe, taking a step closer to it.

"Do you think it still works?" Orca asked excitedly, already running towards it.

Sturgeon quickly followed. "Let's find out!"

Hadiya looked about the room. "Over there is another door. Perhaps that is where the Light Bow is?"

"Worth a try," Link said, beginning to stride towards it. Arlene quickly followed as Hadiya joined him. They each managed to take a few more steps closer to the door before a loud explosion shook the entire room, shaking everyone still on the platform from their feet.

"What was that!?" Link shouted as smoke began to fill the room.

"Sorry!" Orca's voice drifted over to them through the thick smoke. "I think we found the cannon!"

"Would you... just..." Link began to splutter as he got back to his feet. "Quit fooling around over there!"

"Sturgeon did it!"

"Did not! He's lying! He did it, I saw him! Byrne, you saw right? Hey... where is that kid?"

Link's head shot around the room, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the kid was still there, on the platform with Beth. As the smoke began to clear, he noticed that Byrne seemed to be rooted to the spot as he stared at the train. Beth was equally oblivious to what was going on around her, but Link suspected it was for a completely different reason.

"You... you nearly killed me!" Beth finally shouted, pointing at the large hole in the floor that was next to her feet; it was the hole created from the train's cannon.

"Sturgeon did it!" Orca protested.

"Hey, Byrne," Link shouted across the room. "You alright?"

Byrne slowly turned his head to look at Link and though the expression in his eyes looked far away he nodded.

"We're going to check out the next room... You two, try not to kill anyone while we're gone."

"No promises!" Sturgeon replied, his voice filled with pure glee as he moved about the train's engine.

Link gave a grunt before opening the door to the next room. Once again torches lit at their presence, this time to reveal a room much smaller than the room they had just left. The room was completely empty save for an altar that stood in the very center of the floor. Approaching it they found a short message carved into it in Ancient Hylian, along with a a small plaque that had a bunch of circles on it, each one smaller than the other and inside the larger ones. Numbers were carved seemingly haphazardly on top of the edges of the circles, and as Link studied them he couldn't see any particular pattern rising from them. There were also dark lines etched across the circles, creating a criss cross pattern across the entire plaque.

Arlene peered around his side to read the inscription carved above the circles. "Arrange the circles to spell out their proper order, and you will find what you seek."

Hadiya poked at the largest circle and then quickly pulled back when it moved slightly. "What is their proper order?" she asked as she tested one of the smaller circles, finding that it was able to move independently from the other circles just like the largest one.

"Those numbers must be a clue," Arlene said. "They count up from one to seventy-five."

"But they're placed randomly," Link said. "And I don't see a way to get them in any sort of order."

"I guess we'll just have to fiddle with it for a while." Arlene clapped her hands together and began to rub them together eagerly.

Link stepped back and gestured her closer. "It's all yours."

With a small cackle, Arlene quickly took Link's place in front of the stone altar. She studied the message again and then glanced about the surface. "This looks like a button," Arlene said as she pointed out a small indentation off to the side.

Hadiya leaned over Arlene's shoulder. "I assume we press that when we believe we have the answer?"

"That's a safe bet."

"Perhaps these numbers must be placed in rows, so that when summed up they each equal the same number?"

Arlene slowly nodded. "That would make sense. We could make the rows go along the circle's radii. Now the question is, what's the sum we need to get?"

Link rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to keep up with their rapid conversation. "I'm gonna... go see how Sturgeon's doing. He might be able to help with this."

Arlene made a shooing motion with her hand, clearly not even hearing him or else she would have felt insulted that Link thought she needed Sturgeon's help.

* * *

While it was a bit difficult at first to convince the man to leave behind the train station, once Link mentioned they were stumped on a math puzzle the eldest man went scurrying off with a smug look in his eyes.

"That's gonna go straight to his head if he solves it first," Orca commented, watching him leave. "Probably make it grow another inch or so, too."

Link glanced over at Byrne, who hadn't moved since he had first spotted the train, and then climbed up into the engine room where Orca was working. The room was small, and most of it was taken up by a large, empty looking furnace, along with several differently sized levers around the front of the train.

"Do you know what any of these do?" Link asked.

"Well..." Orca pointed out one of the larger levers. "That does the cannon. We know that."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

"Hey, you try figuring out how to start up a centuries old, archaic vehicle and see how fast you can do it!"

Link gave a small sigh as he observed all the levers. "Where'd Beth run off to?"

"I sent her to the back of the train, to see if there's any coal. She just keeps on talking, I had to give her something to do." Orca suddenly turned to Link, a miserable expression on his face. "She doesn't shut up, Link!"

Link began to fidget with one of the levers, making sure not to put enough pressure on it to actually move it. "She just wants to be helpful."

Orca frowned. "Oh. Well... whatever. What do you think is up with Byrne, anyway?"

Link decided to pretend he didn't notice the sudden change of topic. He glanced back at Byrne and noticed he was now sitting down; still staring at the train, he had his head tilted with an expression of curiosity on his face, as if he were trying to work out something. "He's probably just tired. It's been a long day."

"Boy I hear you! I'm exhausted!"

Link smirked. "Yeah but you don't get a break."

Orca groaned as he went back to rotating one of the levers. "I don't see why I can't take at least a nap if Byrne gets to just sit around and do nothing."

"Because you're not eleven. He is."

Orca opened his mouth to reply but then shut it with a small click of his teeth. "Right." He glanced over at Link and then frowned with concern. "Maybe you should get some rest yourself. You look terrible."

Link raised an eyebrow at him. "Gee thanks."

"Oh you know what I mean!" He glared at Link and then sighed. "You still having those nightmares?"

Link grimaced. "I'm going to check on Beth. This place could still be dangerous."

Orca's eyes widened as Link began to climb back down. "Seriously!?" he pulled his gun from his belt and looked about him nervously. "Now he tells me that..."

Link hadn't seen Beth on his way to find Sturgeon, so he assumed that she was somewhere on the other side of the train. It only took him a short moment to walk down the platform, passing the passenger car that held moldy, cushioned seats and collapsed tables, as well as the empty freight car, finally reaching a stable part of the platform that wrapped around and led to the other side. As soon as he turned the corner he spotted Beth. She was collapsed on the ground, a small pool of what looked like blood collecting underneath her head.

Link quickly retrieved his gun from its holster as he raced towards her. "Beth!" he whispered, kneeling beside her. There was no sign of any threat anywhere, and it was possible that the girl had just tripped, but something told him there was danger about.

"Beth," Link tried again, shaking gently at her shoulder.

A small moan from the girl had him sighing with relief.

"Wake up. What happened?"

"Huh?" the girl asked as he eyes fluttered open. "Eddo? What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know..."

"Oh! I think someone hit me. With a brick. That's what it felt like, anyway."

Link helped her to her feet, looking around with alarm. "Did you see who it was?"

Beth shook her head and then winced. She placed a hand to the back of her head, her pupils contracting at the pain she felt from putting even the slightest pressure on it. "No. He hit me from behind, the big meanie."

"Come on, let's get to the others."

Beth nodded, but just as Link was about to turn around to head back her eyes suddenly widened.

Link didn't even have time to turn before he felt the muzzle of a gun at the back of his head.

"Don't even think about shouting for help," a gruff voice hissed at him. "Drop your gun."

Link chewed on the inside of his lip, trying to come up with a plan that didn't include him losing his only weapon. Beth was still in front of him, her eyes wide as she stared over his head at the person behind him. From the way she was craning her neck he guessed the man was rather tall.

"Drop it now!" the intruder said.

Unable to come up with anything in a timely manner, Link quickly opened his hand and let the gun fall to the ground. It landed with a clatter, and Link hoped that Orca had heard that.

"Now turn around... slowly."

This order Link didn't hesitate to follow, as he wanted to know who was currently threatening them. As soon as he turned he pulled in a startled breath. "Impal."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great weekend!**


	38. Chapter 37: Leaders and Followers

**Thanks to pou for reviewing! Ahh, I see, so it's a rumor about the new game. I've heard a ton of rumors about that game, so I'm not sure I believe it yet (it would be really cool if it turned out to be true though!). I remember when Twilight Princess was coming out, there were also several interesting rumors; my favorite was that Link was going to get a glow-in-the-dark horse! How cool would that have been!**

* * *

Chapter 37

Leaders and Followers

Orca had always been told that he had a one-track mind. He had heard it from his teachers, his fellow students at the school, and even from Link a few times. Once he became focused on something, it took quite a bit to pull his attention away to something else. He had always thought such a characteristic was useful, as it allowed him to ignore any distracting noises when he was working on something he was interested in. He never thought it could be a risk, but it was because of this particular ability of his brain that he completely missed Link and Beth being led by gunpoint by the Sheikah Impal, towards the room where Arlene, Hadiya, and his brother were currently working. He was far too focused on trying to turn on the train.

Hadiya was the first to notice the footsteps approaching. Two she recognized, but there was one set she did not. Turning sharply she saw Link, with an annoyed expression on his face and a gun pointed at his head as he helped Beth limp along with him. Behind the pair was one of the men her father had once held in his dungeon for a time; she usually didn't remember most of their faces, but this man was so large he was rather hard to forget.

"Making any progress?" Impal asked casually as the three entered the room.

Arlene turned with a glare on her face, instantly recognizing the voice.

Sturgeon, however, was nodding, still focused on the plaque in front of him. "Yes, yes, of course we are! Give us a few more minutes!"

Arlene gave him a sharp nudge with her elbow, and he finally realized that something was wrong. "Oh," he said weakly when he saw the predicament they were in.

"You," Impal said, gesturing towards Hadiya with his free hand. "Throw your weapon over there."

There was a short pause as Hadiya hesitated, and during this time Link clearly heard the Sheikah's grip on his gun tighten.

"Hey, Hadi..."

"Yes, Link?"

"You want to give him your gun before he shoots me? Maybe?"

"I am considering it."

"Oh. Well don't take too long."

Hadiya finally gave a frustrated sigh and tossed her gun towards Impal, who deftly snatched it from the air and pocketed it. "Good. Now, you two," he turned to Link and Beth. "Get over there with the others. Everyone stay where I can see you." He pointed his gun at Arlene. "Keep working."

The old woman crossed her arms over her chest as Link guided Beth carefully over to the group. "I'm not doing anything while you point that thing at me, Buster Brown. Put that away before you hurt someone."

Impal snorted in amusement. "You always did talk big, but we both know you're all talk and no bite. Now... get back to work."

Arlene narrowed her eyes, but was saved from having to make a decision by Sturgeon. "Hey, come on now, it's hard enough trying to solve an ancient puzzle without you threatening all of us. Just... give us some time, ok?"

Impal nodded curtly at him and watched as the entire group turned their backs on him.

"How close are you really?" Link whispered, barely hearing himself as he tried to keep his voice as low as possible.

"Close," Hadiya answered. "We believe we know the only possible sum these numbers could go up to."

"Well you're going to have to stall," Link replied.

Sturgeon glared at him. "You're kidding, right!? I can't stall! I don't know anything about stalling!"

Arlene quickly cut into the man's ramblings. "Then don't say anything. Let us do it. What's your plan, Link?"

"Still working on it. All I know is we can't let him get the Light Bow."

"What's taking so long!?" Impal shouted. "I don't see you doing anything!"

Arlene turned to face him. "We've hit a snag."

"What sort of snag?" he asked suspiciously.

"...You know, that's a very good question. Hadiya!"

"Yes?"

"Tell him what sort of snag we've hit."

"Right... one of the circles is stuck. It refuses to move."

Impal frowned and stepped a bit closer, craning his neck as he tried to see the puzzle. "Can't you solve it anyway, if just one of them isn't moving? Just rotate the others."

Hadiya and Arlene glanced at each other. "That... might work," Arlene said slowly. "But then again it might not. See? Like I told you, a snag."

Impal fired a warning shot over there heads, making both Beth and Sturgeon scream in surprise. "Quit trying to stall and just finish it!" he shouted.

"Ok, ok!" Sturgeon shouted back. "Just stop shooting!"

"Sturgeon!" Link hissed out.

"I'm sorry, Link, but I'm not going to let people die over a stupid bow!"

Sensing that Sturgeon was going to be the only helpful one, Impal quickly pointed off to the side. "The rest of you stand over there! I don't want you dissuading him."

Reluctantly they left the altar. Beth stumbled a few times, but she was supported by both Link and Hadiya now and so managed to stay upright.

"You alright?" Link asked quietly as they settled next to the wall.

Beth nodded silently. "Hey... Ed, what are those for?" she asked, pointing up at the ceiling.

Looking up at where she was pointing, they noticed several large holes in tight rows all along the ceiling.

Arlene's eyebrows shot up. "Oh dear."

"What?" Link asked.

"I've heard about some temples having booby traps in case someone who's not supposed to be there wanders in."

"Booby trap?" Hadiya asked curiously, unfamiliar with the term.

"Are you saying," Link began. "That if we get that puzzle wrong that trap might activate?"

Arlene nodded. "It looks like it. And from the looks of those holes there's probably spikes up there that are just waiting to fall on us."

Beth made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat as she sat down crosslegged on the floor. "Well that's just terrific. Are you sure you know the answer?"

"It can't be anything else," Arlene replied while Hadiya nodded confidently.

"But..." Beth began hesitantly. "I mean, isn't it a bit... obvious?"

Arlene pursed her lips. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just feel like you figured it out a bit too fast, and this is the only thing guarding the Light Bow, right?"

"So your logic is that it was too easy?" Arlene asked dryly.

"_So_," Beth continued with a glare. "Wouldn't Abril's great-grandfather try to make sure that things were a little more... less obvious? I mean, logic is logic, anyone can do it, given enough time. "

"You think the numbers are there to distract us?" Link asked while Hadiya started to look alarmed.

"He did say we had to prove we were Hylians," Beth said with a shrug before resting her head against the cool stone behind her.

Link looked back to Hadiya and Arlene. "What do you think?"

Impal suddenly glared over at them. "Stop talking over there!"

"Oh be quiet, you!" Arlene shouted back. "We're just chatting."

Another warning shot brought dust and small bits of crumbling stone falling over their heads.

"Done!" Sturgeon quickly said. "Done! All we have to do is press this button!"

"Wait!" Link and Hadiya cried out, forcing Sturgeon's hand to freeze just a hair's breadth away from the button.

"What!?"

"We're missing something," Link explained quickly.

Sturgeon glared. "I am not!"

Arlene cautiously stepped forward. "Think about it! Anyone could have solved this puzzle! Figuring out those numbers doesn't prove our lineage."

Sturgeon's confident expression faltered. "I wouldn't say _anyone_ could solve it, but... then what's the answer?" he asked in annoyance. "What else could it be?!"

"You're just stalling!" Impal shouted. "Press the button!"

"Sturgeon, if you press that button we could all die!" Arlene said, pointing up at the ceiling.

Even Impal turned more cautious. "Is there anything else that could be the solution?"

Sturgeon's entire head began to flush bright red as his brain raced to come up with another possible answer. "I don't see what else it could be."

"Then press it!" Impal said, backing closer to the door and holding the gun pointed straight at Sturgeon.

* * *

Orca had been able to ignore quite a few things in his lifetime, from the teachers mindless lectures about not doing whatever Link did, to the explosions that used to rock the city when the rebellion had still been in full action. The first time he heard the gun go off in the room where his brother was, only his subconscious registered it, as at the same time he had finally figured out which levers to pull to allow the steam from the coal to the actual engine.

"Progress!" he had exclaimed, and the distant echoes of the gun faded from his mind.

Then the gun was fired for a second time, and this time Orca noticed it a bit more than the last time.

"What are they _doing_ in there?" Orca grumbled to himself as he poked his head through the doorway and glared down the platform, trying to see into the room. He could make out a tall, very muscular looking figure standing right in the doorway, and as Orca focused on him he heard him say something about pushing a button.

Orca studied the figure; Link wasn't nearly as muscular as this guy, and he was fairly certain that Beth, Hadiya, Arlene, and his brother weren't, either. Which meant they had an intruder, and he hadn't even noticed.

He scrambled off of the train and crept closer to the room, slipping past a completely oblivious Byrne. As he passed the front of the train he peered around it, just to make sure Link still wasn't there looking for Beth. He wasn't certain how much time had passed since Link had said he was going to do that, but he couldn't see either so he could only assume they were in the room with the large muscle guy.

He was drawing closer now, and so he quickly began to fumble with his belt in search of his gun. With a start he realized it wasn't there. He vaguely recalled pulling it out before, after Link had said it was dangerous here, but then what had happened to it? He cast his mind back; he had the gun, he was complaining about Link, and then he noticed some pipes attached to a few of the levers, and so... oh yes, he had put the gun on the floor. He glanced in back of him; the train wasn't too far, but it was far enough that he didn't have time to go back. From the sound of his brother's panicked voice he didn't have much time to do much of anything.

Where was Link? This seemed like a Link sort of job, but the man was nowhere to be seen. What was he even supposed to do? He didn't have a weapon, and Byrne was being useless. Not that the tiny guy could do much, but he would feel better knowing someone else was with him, trying to come up with an idea. This really wasn't his forte. He was the follower. Always had been. He had followed Sturgeon everywhere when he was young, and when his big brother had been taken two years before he had, to school, he had been absolutely lost. Then he arrived at school, and there Link had been, throwing his breakfast porridge at the headmistress.

After that he had sought him out, and when he finally found him he was hidden away in one of the smaller passageways, reading. Or writing. He couldn't remember which. All Link had done was make a deal; don't tell, and he'd teach Orca how to do the same. So he hadn't told, and he had learned to read as he followed Link everywhere, getting into all the trouble that Link got into.

Now there was no one to follow. _He_ had to make the decision. His heart began to race as he tried to figure out what to do. He had to do _something_. He was the only one who could. Last time he had been in a situation like this, he had hesitated for too long; if Link hadn't shown up Hadiya would probably be dead right now. He balled his hands into fists and took another step towards the giant man. No one was going to come out of nowhere and help this time. It was up to him. He knew he had to do something, so he took another step. He was close enough now he could easily grab the man, but he still had a gun. He couldn't risk it going off and accidentally hitting someone in there.

Glancing about hurriedly, he spotted a piece of the floor that looked loose. Prying the stone free from its position, Orca readied himself. The man was still screaming for a button to be pushed, and so Orca took his time to position himself properly. His lessons on hand to hand combat that he had taken from Hadiya while they had still been with the rebellion floated through his mind.

_"Stop stopping right before you hit me!" _she shouted._ "Do not aim for me, aim for whatever is behind me. Pretend there is someone behind me, and the only way to hit him is get through me at the same time. That way you will be certain to use the right amount of force, and that way you will not stop before you've done any damage to me."_

So Orca pretended that the headmistress was right behind the intruder's head, and he struck towards that smug expression on the Gerudo's face.

* * *

Zelda coughed and felt her pulse pick up when the unmistakable copper taste of blood filled her mouth. _"Damn... I think a rib's broken..."_

The Gerudo woman standing above her gave her midsection another sharp kick and then stepped back.

"Well?" Ganondorf asked from a short distance away. "Tell me what I want to know and we can end this."

Zelda glared at him as she struggled to catch her breath. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know we'd started yet. Your captain over there kicks like a girl."

Ganondorf scowled. "Tell me how you're hiding your Triforce from me!"

"Maybe I threw it out," Zelda said as she sat up, wincing more at the grinding noise the movement created amongst her ribcage than at the actual pain said movement created. They were in Ganondorf's throne room, and Zelda noticed that he had mounted the Master Sword on the wall, just above his chair. Pain flared inside her, but she pushed it away. She had had worse.

"...Threw it out?"

"You know, in the garbage," Zelda said slowly, adopting a tone that one might use when dealing with a young child.

Ganondorf let out a short bark of laughter. "You expect me to believe that you would just abandon something your family has been protecting since time immemorial?"

Zelda shrugged and examined her surroundings more closely as Ganondorf tried to come up with something else to say. There were two guards at the door, but even if there hadn't been any she knew she couldn't manage to drag herself out fast enough before Ganondorf caught up with her. Then there was the Gerudo captain of the guards, who was standing next to Ganondorf and looking like she was just itching to jump back in and start kicking at her again.

_"Just try it, missy," _Zelda said in a glare._ "You took me by surprise last time, but I'll be ready for you this time, bound hands or not."_

This reminder of her hands being bound brought her attention to where they were currently resting in her lap, the thick metal shackles digging tightly into her skin. Her gloves were gone, and the first thing Ganondorf had started to rant about was how she even managed to hide the symbol of the Triforce from her skin.

As Ganondorf started to repeat his question on how she was doing what she really wasn't, Zelda surreptitiously looked back to the Master Sword. It was closer than the door, and even if Ganondorf did catch up to her, once she had that in her hands she would at least have something to fight back with.

Shifting again, the pain in her ribs rose to a level that made it difficult to breath. After quickly moving back to her original position some of the pressure was relieved, but standing was going to be a bit of an issue at this point.

"Don't ignore me!" Ganondorf hollered.

Zelda didn't even glance at him as she felt a sliver of doubt worm its way into her. "Link will be here eventually, with the Light Bow... maybe I should just wait it out? But if Ganondorf learns that I really did leave Wisdom behind, then he'll charge into that forest, scary monsters or not." Imagining the last of her people being slaughtered forced her into a decision.

A crackle of energy brought Zelda's gaze back to Ganondorf, where a sphere of dark magic was growing around his hands. She tensed. "Now or never, Zelda. Time to move." So she did. Her breathing all but stopped from the pain that leaping to her feet caused, but she was moving and she made sure to keep it that way.

"Stop her!" Ganondorf shouted, the magic fading from his hand in his surprise.

The Gerudo captain was charging towards her, and Zelda quickly sprang up, slamming her knee into the other woman's stomach and forcing her to double over. Gripping the Gerudo's back, Zelda pushed herself up, leaped over the woman and passed Ganondorf, who was already preparing another spell. She heard him throw it just as she started to scramble up the large throne. Her fingers brushed against the hilt right as the powerful magic crashed into her.

Waves of agony forced her down, and she slid into the chair with a pained scream.

"Pathetic," Ganondorf spat. "I see now this is a waste of time. I will simply kill you and take Wisdom for myself. Perhaps then it will teach me that trick that you learned."

Ganondorf approached her as she sat there, unable to move save for the few involuntary twitches that racked her body as the sharp pain continued to burn through her.

"You know..." Ganondorf said casually as he pulled his sword from its scabbard, its dark blade glinting in the bright light. "I hear your daughter died a similar, pitiful death..."

A cloud of red filled Zelda's vision, and suddenly the pain didn't seem nearly as bad as it had before. Zelda lunged back up and grabbed the sword before letting herself fall back down, her weight and the force of her grip yanking the sword free from its mounts on the wall. She only got to see the startled expression on Ganondorf's face for a split second before it disappeared behind a wall of blue light.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	39. Chapter 38: Bleeding Out

**A big huge thanks to pan, deflow, hy, Blue, and Guest for reviewing, and to the new followers and favorite-ers! Have I mentioned that I love y'all? 'Cause I really do!**

**pan: Muhaha, I love keeping my readers in suspense, so you'll have to wait a while to find out what happens with Zelda! :-D**

**deflow: Why thank you very much, that really means a lot to me! And I really love responding to reviews, so it's no problem at all!**

**hy: All very true! I was hoping that those who have played Skyward Sword would appreciate that ;-)**

**Blue: You'll find out... eventually!**

**Guest: From what I've seen of the new graphics for the Wind Waker remake, it looks AWESOME! I was watching the trailer for it just a little while ago actually, and I was staring at it in awe thinking "Oh my gosh, the clouds even cast shadows!"  
Honestly graphics aren't too big of a deal for me, what I really care about is the story, but I do think this remake is going to look very pretty which is always a nice plus!**

**And now... on with the chapter!**

**This chapter's title is brought to you by a song of the same name, by Imagine Dragons! ...It was what I was listening to when it was time to think up a name, so I thought to myself "what the hey!" Who cares if it doesn't really fit the actual chapter's content! I probably will in a few hours, but it's too late now!**

* * *

Chapter 38

Bleeding Out

In order for someone to be successfully knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, one cannot simply give a hard whack and then just wait. The brain is quite good at cushioning itself, and the most successful tactic is to make sure there's some rotation involved, to make it spin around a bit within the skull. Of course, Orca didn't know this, as such things are usually just learned later on from experience. Experience Orca never had the chance to collect. So when he hit Impal over the head with a heavy stone, it only served as a distraction instead of the knock out he was hoping for.

Moments before, Sturgeon had been about to push the button anyway and hope for the best. When he heard Impal give a grunt he turned around to yell at the man not to startle him like that when he was doing something so important. Then he saw him clutching at his head with his free hand; the gun in his other was wavering about the room randomly. Behind him stood Orca, a disappointed yet nervous look on his face.

Fortunately for Orca, Link and Hadiya didn't hesitate. They charged forward, tackling the larger man to the ground together. Hadiya gave the man's wrist a sharp jab with her fingers, forcing his fingers to open and drop the gun. A moment later they had him subdued in a corner of the room, with Hadiya making sure he stayed that way as she pointed her own gun at him. She tossed Link's gun back to him, where it was quickly placed back into his belt.

"Right then," Arlene said shakily. "Now that that's over with, maybe we can move on."

"Did you see that?" Orca asked as he joined his brother. "The guy must have a head like a rock!"

Link grinned at him. "Thanks for the help."

"Oh, it was nothing," Orca said shyly, scratching at his head.

Arlene kneeled next to Beth, who was watching everyone else with a dazed expression. "Orca, dear, would you mind heading up into the forest and finding me some plants to help Beth's head?"

"Sure!" Orca said eagerly, the adrenaline from what he had just done still coursing through him. "What do you need?"

"Look for red-ish leaves with yellow veins." Arlene paused and then nodded to herself. "Yes, those should do."

"I will help," Hadiya said, nodding at Link to take over from where she was standing. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be with this particular puzzle," she added as she glanced at where Sturgeon was still standing, muttering under his breath.

Link glanced towards Beth. "Arlene, you should move Beth out of here, just in case something triggers those spikes."

Arlene's eyes widened and she quickly nodded in agreement. "Come on, dearie; just walk a little bit over this way."

Soon Link and Sturgeon were left alone in the room with Impal.

With his gun still pointed at the Sheikah traitor, Link turned his attention to Sturgeon. "Any ideas?" he asked him.

"None whatsoever!" Sturgeon complained, a hint of a whine in his voice. "I just don't see what else it could be besides these numbers! It makes sense!"

Link inched closer to the altar to get a better look at the circles. He could understand Sturgeon's difficulty, though he had a feeling he was having trouble finding a different solution because of a completely different reason than Link. He himself hadn't even thought of arranging the numbers so they could be added the same way in any direction, never mind something more abstract than that. Sturgeon had been trained in logic his entire life, by Gerudo. In fact, the only person to have not been taught in Gerudo ways was Arlene. He decided that they would probably have to wait for her to finish treating Beth before they actually got anywhere.

He took his gun off of Impal long enough to rub at his right shoulder; even though all the shrapnel had been removed - according to Arlene, anyway, though he supposed it was possible she had missed some - it still hurt every so often. Especially when he moved it too much, such as when disarming a Sheikah that had been about to shoot them all.

Sturgeon was still grumbling under his breath, and as he fidgeted with the circles, rotating them about randomly, his voice became more and more desperate. It was his job to solve puzzles, and here he was stumped by something set up by a warrior who was long dead.

Eventually Arlene finally returned. "Beth's resting, she should be fine," she reported. "Any luck with this?"

"Not really," Link replied.

Arlene gave a thoughtful hum and then went to stand beside Sturgeon. "Well, Mr. Genius, looks like we're back to square one."

"It would appear so, Nana Savvy."

"Who are you calling nana!? I'm not old!"

Link rubbed at his face tiredly.

"Well let's see..."Arlene continued. "Since we're not supposed to focus on the numbers let's look at what else is here."

"There's nothing else except for these lines!" Sturgeon protested, still refusing to give up on the numbers. "So unless we're supposed to draw a pretty picture, I really don't see what else we can do."

"Hoho! Mr. Genius has some brains after all!"

"...You want to make a picture?"

"Let's see if we can't."

"What would it be?" Link asked curiously. "The Triforce?"

Arlene shook her head as Sturgeon began to spin the circles about. "Too obvious. Even the Gerudo know about the Triforce. It would have to be something more subtle. Something that's always been in Hylian culture, but that was always taken for granted and so wouldn't be made a big deal out of."

"Like what?"

"Hush up over there! I'm thinking!" Suddenly she shot him a pointed stare. "Don't _you_ have any ideas? In a way, you're the oldest of all of us, you should know more about Hylian culture than anyone."

Link shifted uncomfortably. "I've told you before, I don't really remember anything from my past life. Just-"

"Flashes; yes, yes," Arlene said dismissively before turning back to the puzzle.

Sturgeon rubbed at his forehead. "It also has to be something relatively simple. Simple enough that it can be drawn with just these straight lines, anyway."

"...What about a horse?" Link suggested.

Both Arlene and Sturgeon looked at him with a single eyebrow raised.

"Just a suggestion," Link grumbled, turning back to watch over Impal. The man was still in the corner, glaring daggers at Link. The younger man didn't even blink under the hard glare.

"A horse..." Sturgeon muttered. "How is that drawn with straight lines!?"

"Perhaps you are going about the riddle all wrong," Hadiya said as she poked her head through the doorway. Link had no idea how long she had been standing out there, listening in, but from her expression she looked like she had an idea so it was probably the entire time.

"What do you mean?" Arlene asked.

Hadiya stepped further into the room. "Sometimes when a question is too complicated, you have to answer something smaller first to find the larger answer."

Arlene smiled, approving of the younger girl's vague reply. "And what would you suggest our smaller question be?"

"When you hear the name Hyrule, what is the first thing that comes into your mind?"

All three Hylians took on distracted expressions. "Home," all three answered quietly.

Hadiya dipped her head slightly. "Then there is your answer."

"So we have to draw what, exactly, a house!?" Sturgeon snapped.

"No!" Link suddenly exclaimed. "You have to spell it out!"

"In Ancient Hylian!" Arlene added, giving Sturgeon a shove so she could reach the circles. "Ancient Hylian letters are less fancy and more straightforward. There's no curves to worry about."

A shout from Beth had Hadiya turning back and leaving the room. "I'll check on her, be right back!" A moment later they heard her scolding Orca for trying to move the bandages around.

It didn't take long for Arlene to arrange the circles the way they needed to be, and as Sturgeon watched he began to give a low moan of distress. "You've mixed them all up! If we're wrong about this it's going to take forever to work out the numbers again."

Link rolled his eyes. "If we're wrong about this you won't have much to worry about."

Sturgeon glanced up at the ceiling where the spikes lay in wait, and his face paled. "Right."

Arlene licked at her lips nervously as she stepped back. "I think most of us should leave. Just in case."

Everyone froze. They hadn't yet thought about what they would do when they finally figured out the answer, and now that the moment was upon them they realized they would have to pick someone who may very well end up sacrificing himself.

Arlene's face suddenly took on a defiant glare, as if she were daring the spikes to fall on her if they had the wrong answer. "I'll do it."

Link breathed in sharply. "No!"

"Well you can't do it!" Arlene snapped at him.

Link gave Impal a nudge with his gun. "Let's let him do it."

Arlene gave a sad sigh, and her face took on a very disappointed expression. "Link..."

She didn't have time to say what she wanted to, for in that instant Impal decided that things weren't looking good for him at all. He lunged forward, grabbing onto Link's sore shoulder. With a pained scream Link fell to his knees, the gun in his hand firing out of instinct, but the bullet missed miserably; Impal continued to clutch onto the shoulder tightly, even as he forced Link's gun into his own hand.

"Hey! Help!" Sturgeon called out to where the others were.

At the scholar's shout, Impal gave a growl and slammed a fist into the switch on the wall, letting the door rise up and shut. Hadiya's alarmed face appeared just before the door became too high up for her to climb over in time. It sealed with a loud clang.

Finally Impal released Link's shoulder, and the man slumped over weakly, clutching at it in a protective manner and covered in a thin sheet of sweat.

"You two, stand over here!" Impal ordered as he stepped away from Link to stand next to the altar. "I know you can hear me, Gerudo girl!" Impal shouted towards the closed door. "If you try to open this door I'll shoot all your friends in here!"

Silence met them, and so Impal gave a satisfied nod.

"So what's the plan," Arlene asked mockingly. "Now that you've sealed us all in here, you're back where you started. You might as well press the button while you're there."

"Shut up!" Impal scowled as he tried to come up with a plan.

Arlene heaved a sigh. "He's slower than you, Mr. Genius."

"Is this really the time to be insulting me!?" Sturgeon snapped.

Arlene placed a comforting hand over Link's, which was still clutching at his shoulder. "Mr. Genius, it's always the time. ...You alright, Link?"

Link gave a short nod. "Just give me a minute," he said through gritted teeth.

"Alright," Impal said finally. "I'm going to open the door, and then everyone out there is going to come in here. Then I'll step out, and one of you can push the button."

"Great plan!" Arlene praised. "That way if we were wrong you'll have to figure out the right answer on your own."

Impal paused before scowling. "Then just one of you will remain in here." He stepped forward, closer to Link. "I would so love to pick you," he said with a snarl. Link stumbled to his feet and met the man's glare. "But Ganondorf has to kill you himself, otherwise the Triforce of Courage will be lost again. So..." he pointed his gun at Arlene. "I'm thinking you."

"You can point that toy at me all you want, Mister, I'm not going to do it." She held up her pointer finger. "I have arthritis in this finger, so it makes it hard to push buttons."

Impal grinned. "Then I guess you're useless to me."

The next instant, the room erupted into chaos. Hadiya had convinced Orca that they had to try to open the door, but she also knew as soon as it started to move their friends would be in danger. Her solution, therefore, had been to stand on Orca's shoulders before commanding him to pull the switch. That way, the moment there was even a smallest crack that led into the room, she could get a sight on Impal and hopefully take him down. Just as the door began to move, Impal pulled the trigger of his gun.

Link hadn't been expecting it at first. He had thought Impal would just pick someone else. Sturgeon. Because the man had already proven to be a complete wuss when under a gun. But then he noticed the tightening of the man's hands, and the unmistakable look in the much larger man's eyes that came with the decision to fire. He had seen it before, and now he saw it again, directed towards his friend and mentor. With no time left to think, he charged forward. He collided into the man just as the gun went off, and in the corner of his eyes he saw Arlene crumple to the ground. Someone was screaming; a bloodcurdling, furious bellow, and as he was throwing his first punch towards Impal he realized it was him making that inhuman noise. It didn't last long, for as soon as he was on top of Impal he saved his energy to hit the man as hard and as quickly as he could. The throbbing in his shoulder was completely forgotten.

"Link!" Hadiya shouted, racing into the room. Her plan hadn't gone the way she had wanted it to at all. By the time she had spotted Impal and had enough room to fit her gun's muzzle into the ever widening gap between the door and the ceiling, Link was already on top of the Sheikah.

"Link, stop!"

It took both her and Orca to pull the Hylian off, and even once they had separated him from Impal he still heaved against their arms, his focus solely on his enemy.

"Hey!" Sturgeon shouted. "I need help over here! Judging by the angle it just missed her heart, but if we don't do something soon she's going to die of blood loss anyway!"

"Link!" Hadiya screamed into the man's ear. "We don't have time for this! Impal is out cold, now we need to save Arlene!"

Link suddenly stopped, and he slowly turned to where Arlene was laying on the floor. Sturgeon was knelt next to her, his hands pressed against her chest as blood bubbled between his fingers.

"Quick, the plants!" Hadiya said as she raced back towards the train where Beth was. Orca took Impal's gun and stood a good distance from him, ready to shoot if he had to.

Link was by Arlene's side in an instant, still breathing heavily. "Arly," he choked out.

The woman's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at him. "Hiya, Bob. Make sure you keep an eye out on that grandson of mine, won't you?"

"You'll be fine," Link said weakly. "It's not that bad..."

Hadiya returned, shoving past him and Sturgeon. "Tell me how to use these!" she ordered Arlene.

Arlene's eyes drifted closed, and it felt like an eternity before they opened again. Even then she didn't answer, letting out a hacking cough instead.

"Arly," Link whispered. "Please... I need you. You're supposed to be there for us, remember? You said you'd make sure me and Zelda are never on our own. Just tell us how to use the plants."

A shaking hand reached out and patted Link gently on his cheek. "You'll survive, dear." Arlene gave a tired moan. "Well, big brother, it looks like it's finally my turn to find you."

Her eyes slid closed, but her chest continued to rise and fall, albeit very slowly and weakly. Hadiya stared down at the woman, her golden eyes wide with shock as Sturgeon quickly lifted his bloodied hands away from the wounded woman.

"Give me those," Sturgeon said, snatching at the plants. "If I can't figure out ancient medicine hoodoo rubbish on my own then you can revoke my scholar's license right here and now. You, keep your hands there!" he snapped at Hadiya.

The young Gerudo quickly placed her hands over the bullet hole that was still leaking blood, though at a much slower rate than before. "Can you really do this?"

"I overheard some of what she told Byrne during our walk earlier... Of course I can!"

While he was tearing apart leaves and stems alike, Link stood abruptly; Hadiya didn't even notice until she heard the click of a gun and a low groan from Impal. Turning sharply, Hadiya nearly pulled her hands away from Arlene as she saw Link holding Impal up by the collar of his shirt, a gun in his other hand and pressed tightly to Impal's head.

"Link!" Orca shouted in surprise. "Don't do it, man! She wouldn't want you to!"

"Go ahead," Impal spat. "Do it."

Orca stared into his friend's face, and saw a person that he couldn't recognize at all. A fury the likes of which Orca had never seen before blazed in his eyes, and his face was drawn back into a snarl that twisted his features. It was if a monster had taken the place of his old friend, and it terrified him more than anything else he had ever experienced. He desperately wanted to see this monster go away, but he had no idea what to say, or what to do. Then Hadiya called out to him again, still clinging to Arlene, and he felt relieved; if she couldn't bring Link back from this monster then probably no one could.

"Link," Hadiya said cautiously, not wanting to startle him as his hand tightened on the trigger. "Orca is right, Arlene would not want you to do this. Not now. I... I've seen some of the things that happen in my fathers palace, and this man was brainwashed through magic long ago."

"So?" Link asked, in a voice that was his but not his.

"He was not in control of his actions. He hasn't been for some time. If we... if we shoot him with the Light Bow, it may break the spell on him."

Impal glared at her. "I haven't been brainwashed! I serve Ganondorf because I chose to!"

"It isn't fair to kill him now," Hadiya said thoughtfully, ignoring the man. "Break the spell, and this man dies to be replaced by who he was born as."

Link glanced briefly at Hadiya, his eyes still enraged, but his face was slowly beginning to revert back to something more familiar. "Get out. All of you."

"Come on, Ed," Orca said nervously.

"Get out!" Link shouted.

Hadiya looked to Sturgeon, who had tightly wrapped a bandage stuffed full of the plants around Arlene's wound. "Are you-"

"Yes, yes, she's as stable as she's going to get for now," Sturgeon grunted. "This isn't going to last long though, we need to get her to a real doctor."

Sturgeon and Hadiya carefully lifted Arlene's body and left without even looking back. Orca soon followed, turning as soon as they were clear of the door. Link was already roughly dragging Impal over to the altar, and as soon as he reached it he released the man, letting him fall to the floor, before striking out at the button. Instantly the door began to close, and the entire room started to shake. Dust started to fall onto the two men inside the room, and the image of Link not even looking up at the ceiling to see if the spikes were falling was the last Orca saw of them before the door closed completely.

"Link!" Orca shouted, banging on the door. He tried the switch on the wall, but it refused to move. "What's going on?"

Hadiya joined him at the tightly sealed door, wearing a matching expression of concern.

The rumbling finally stopped, and silence fell. Orca scrambled back to the switch and pulled it again. This time it gave easily, and the door slid back open to reveal an obvious change in the room. Link was still standing with a gun to Impal's head, but beyond the pair a panel in the far wall had moved aside. Within the smaller room sat a skeleton that was slumped over an unremarkable looking treasure chest. It was made of plain wood, and from the looks of its simple design didn't even have a lock.

Hadiya quickly moved forward and gently moved the skeleton's hand from the top of the chest. Then she pushed it open and peered inside. "There it is," she said quietly. A moment later she reached in and then turned, a small bow with a bright, perfectly polished, gold covering clutched in her hands, along with a quiver full of sharp arrows.

She started to return to the others when the radio in her pocket suddenly came to life. It crackled loudly with static, and as Hadiya quickly handed Sturgeon the bow a low, frantic voice could be heard mumbling through her cloak's fabric.

By the time she retrieved her radio it had returned to simply emitting static. "Repeat, please," Hadiya said.

The voice of Major Ross came through, sounding more clear now that the radio was in the air. "Where ever you people are, you might want to pick up the pace. General Zelda has been captured by the enemy."

Link's gaze turned sharply to the radio; the rage in his eyes hadn't lessened any, and after hearing Russ he only looked more infuriated. "Tell them we're on our way," he said.

As Hadiya reported the success of their mission, Link moved away from Impal and snatched the bow from Sturgeon's hands. "Time to see if Hadiya's right about you, Impal."

He notched an arrow, pulled back the string with a practiced ease as if he had been using bows his entire life, and then released it.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	40. Chapter 39: Memory Lane

**Oh my gosh, you guys, can you believe we only have five more chapters (including the epilogue) to go after this one?! That's crazy! **

**Anyway, a big huge thanks to Riegne and Nabooru'sapprentice for reviewing!**

**Riegne: Well she's not dead yet, but whether or not she'll survive is still to be determined... {cue spooky music}  
And you're very welcome! Thank _you_ very very much for thinking this fic is fantastic ^_^**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: Awesome, thanks! Your tips on writing action scenes are really helping me out, and I'm glad it's showing! And yeah, I kinda stole some moves from what I learned about in a beginner's (aka noob's) TaeKwonDo class I took a while back. Apparently there's these monks in Asia somewhere that can jab you in certain places with just a few fingers and completely paralyze you for a while, so that's sort of what I had Hadiya doing, haha. I always imagined the Gerudo would know some sort of martial arts, because to me they just seem like the type who would want to know that sort of thing.  
****Of course it'd have to be a pretty hard jab to do what Hadiya did with Impal's wrist... I'm not sure I would recommend testing it on yourself without knowing what you're doing though, lol. I would imagine it would hurt (whether you did it right or not)!**

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Chapter 39

Memory Lane

Lucine, ex-captain of the Gerudo guards, was annoyed. She had done nothing but follow all of the rebellion general's orders, just as Hadiya had told her to do, but then they had not been allowed to help with the evacuation of the Hylian district, because she and the rest of her people hadn't been trusted enough. Now here they were, with a cavern full of refugees and an inexperienced major in charge.

"This won't end well," she mumbled to herself as she watched the young man struggle to get everyone organized.

Major Russ had led people before, but small teams only, and in combat, where everyone had to be on the same page quickly and efficiently and already knew how to work together to get the job done. That wasn't how one ran a civilian job. With a roll of her eyes she turned away from the man. Watching him was just painful, but if he wasn't going to ask for help she wasn't going to just offer it.

She nodded a greeting to a few of her people, who were lingering at the sidelines just as she was. Passing them she found a comfortable enough looking pile of rubble and sat down. As more Hylians began to complain that they had been promised food, and there wasn't any in sight down here, Lucine let her thoughts wander to Hadiya. She sent a prayer to the Sand Goddess that she was alright. The Gerudo people were going to need her once Ganondorf was dead. It would make for an easier transition if his daughter took his place. She couldn't imagine what they do if something were to happen to her; the Gerudo would become a disorganized mess.

A low hum interrupted her thoughts. Holding her breath she listened carefully; it sounded like it was coming from underneath her. Scrambling to her feet she began to dig through her seat, the humming growing louder the more she tore the pile of rubble apart. Finally she discovered the source of the noise. It was a small golden triangle, with a frayed piece of cord wrapped tightly around it. Lucine picked it up gently and held it in front of her face, admiring the golden aura that glowed around it.

"...What _is_ this?"

* * *

Zelda had no idea what had just happened, but from the appearance of the room she was currently in it seemed to match the description that both Hadiya and Link had given of the Chamber of Sages, where the Gerudo girl and Link had been transported to a few months ago.

"Send me back!" Zelda shouted into the air, the Master Sword still in her hands.

"You cannot wield that sword to its full potential," the voice of an old man said from behind her. "Not as you are now, anyway."

Turning on her heels, she caught sight of the man, dressed in a long orange and red robe with his hands folded into his sleeves.

"What do you mean by that?" Zelda snapped at him.

"The Master Sword resonates with those who are pure of heart. That is when it is at its strongest."

Zelda snorted. "Don't tell me that's why you brought me here. I'm a bit too old to be lectured by some old geezer who hides up here all day. It's still a sword with powers of its own, it should be enough, even if we don't see eye to eye. ...Now send me back!"

Rauru frowned at her. "You are going to get not only yourself killed but also the rest of your people if you keep dragging yourself down this path of revenge."

"It's gotten me pretty far, actually," Zelda retorted snippily.

"But you are missing the big picture. You are Zelda, you _need_ to always see the big picture! If you had allowed the Gerudo in your rebellion to help, the Hylians who did not trust you would have trusted them. You could have cleared the Hylian district much faster. You would not be in this position."

Zelda paused; he was probably right, but he made it sound like it was a simple matter to trust one's enemy with your people's lives.

"You are going to lose what few allies you have if you keep this up."

"If you would just send me back I can finish this whole thing!" Zelda shouted. "Ganondorf's right there! Let me use the Master Sword to seal him again, or... come to think of it, why don't you do something? You _are_ a sage with powers, aren't you?"

"My time in your world is over. If I..." Rauru hesitated before continuing. "If I could help you I would. But now there is only one thing I can do."

Zelda perked up at the promise of getting some assistance. "What?"

"I can show you the big picture."

Zelda wanted to ask what the heck he meant by that, but before she could even open her mouth she was transported somewhere else. She was floating above a small room, one that she recognized immediately. It was one of her old rooms, when the rebellion had lived underground, but this room was slightly different from the others. It was comfortably furnished, and decorated with a few odds and ends, and Zelda realized that this was from before the rebellion formed. This was from when she had still been hiding.

The air shimmered below her, and suddenly a much younger version of herself appeared, sitting at the desk and just staring at the wooden piece of furniture under her nose, her hands twisting at the fabric of her dress. Arlene was also there, a hand covering her mouth, and Impal... Impal was also there, kneeling at her side with an arm wrapped about her shoulders comfortingly.

"What happened?" Arlene finally asked.

The young Zelda didn't even twitch in Arlene's direction, so Impal finally answered. "They were... it was almost like they were waiting for us out there."

Arlene shook her head and lowered her hand. "We were worried there were traitors, but _this_. This is too close. I'm going to do another investigation into your family's body guards. Only the higher ranking ones would have known about your trip."

"Zelda," Impal turned to the young woman. "We can't keep going like this."

"Impal!" Arlene called out icily. "Do not bring this up right now."

"But we can't!" Impal shouted, standing up and facing the short, old woman. "We need to do something! We obviously can't even hide right anymore! We need to start fighting back."

"Leave us a moment, dear," Arlene said gently. "Take some time to just breathe."

Impal stalked out of the room, leaving Zelda and Arlene alone.

"What's left to breathe for?" Zelda whispered.

"Now you listen to me," Arlene said as she strode closer to Zelda. "You cannot just throw away your life-"

"_I_ should be dead!" Zelda screamed, standing up roughly and letting the chair fall backwards. "Why aren't I?! Why?!"

Arlene didn't answer with words, choosing instead to pull the hysterical woman into a hug. Zelda fell to her knees, sobbing into the elder's shoulder.

Minutes passed like this, until Zelda finally calmed down. "I'm going to kill him," she whispered.

"Now, Zelda, you've been through a lot, you shouldn't-"

"I'm going to destroy them all." Zelda pulled away from Arlene before lifting her gaze upward. "If you can hear me, Zelda, I promise you... I'll make sure the Gerudo won't hurt anyone else, even if it kills me. I don't care what it takes. I'll kill Ganondorf myself. I'll kill them all. Every single one."

The Zelda that had already lived through this, that was still hovering, invisible, above the room, closed her eyes. She remembered what happened next, and didn't need to see it again. All the same the golden glow that appeared in the room pierced through her closed eyelids, and her younger scream assaulted her ears. Her Wisdom was leaving her.

"Why are you showing me this!?" Zelda shouted into the air. "I already know what happened!"

Suddenly Zelda was somewhere else. The market. A chill swept through Zelda. "No." She tried to move, to fly through the air she was currently trapped in, but her body refused to move. "Don't make me watch this again. Why are you doing this!?"

Rauru appeared at her side. "Look," he said gently, pointing out towards a small family.

Zelda choked back a sob. She knew this family. It was hers. She was walking throughout the different stalls, a little girl's hand wrapped safely in her own, and Impal standing at her side, pointing out something. Zelda couldn't see what, and she didn't remember what it was that had enraptured all three of their attentions.

"If this were really Hylian it wouldn't look so cheap," Impal's voice drifted up to her.

The younger version of herself looked at him in annoyance. "Not now, Impal. Not today, we're having fun." She smiled down at her daughter. "Right?"

"Can we get cookies?" the little girl asked excitedly.

Zelda and Impal glanced at each other. "You're a bit hyper already..." Zelda said worriedly.

Impal placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder as they started to walk towards the bakery anyway. "We can only stay safe for so long, you know. Eventually we will be discovered. But if we start a rebellion-"

"I said not now," Zelda snapped.

Above the family Zelda tensed. It was coming. Soon. She looked about the market, looking for them. Finally she found them, three Gerudo, lingering a few stalls behind the family.

"Look," Rauru said quietly, pointing towards Impal.

Zelda didn't want to stop watching the Gerudo, but she did as she was bade. Just as her eyes landed on Impal, she saw him look behind him.

_"What is he looking at? The Gerudo? But... if he saw them why didn't he..."_

Impal nodded at them. He _nodded_ at them. Zelda felt herself grow cold, that nod constantly replaying in her mind, unable to comprehend it and yet completely understanding all at once. A moment later the gunshot rang out. The market erupted into chaos, and Zelda lost sight of her younger self clutching at her daughter. She didn't need to see them. She didn't want to see them. Her sole focus was on Impal, who was working on fixing a shocked expression on his face before grabbing the younger Zelda and pulling her out of the market. The Gerudo had already left.

Zelda blinked, and in that short amount of time the market disappeared and she found herself back in the Chamber of Sages. All of her strength left her, and she found her legs betraying her as she collapsed onto her knees, the Master Sword falling to the ground with a clatter she barely heard.

"He did it," she whispered. "He... gave the order..."

"Ganondorf wanted his rebellion, before a real one started that might be a threat to him," Rauru said from somewhere above her. "Impal was close to you, and able to direct the rebellion through you. They hoped that, if you were leading it, you would also bring Link to them."

Zelda glared up at him through teary eyes. "Stop it."

"I am sorry, Zelda, but you had to understand. It was your search for revenge that made you miss the obvious, and this pattern will continue unless you can give it up and focus on saving Hyrule. Nothing else. You must get the Triforce of Wisdom back. Link cannot defeat Ganondorf without your help, and you cannot help without the Triforce."

Zelda's eyes hardened. "Send me back," she said, picking up the Master Sword.

Rauru's face fell. "...Zelda-"

She pointed the sword at him, where its sharp blade hovered just inches away from the man's throat. "Send me back."

Rauru sighed and then, with a wave of his hand, surrounded Zelda with a wall of blue light.

* * *

The arrow sunk deep into Impal, just above his heart. The moment it pierced his skin it began to glow with a bright gold aura. Another moment later it started to dissolve, turning to black ash against the man's skin before crumbling to the ground. The entire time Impal was collapsed onto his knees and screaming; a deep, pained scream that very nearly shook Link out of the anger that was coursing through him.

"What's it doing to him!?" Orca shouted over the screaming.

"Absorbing the dark magic," Hadiya shouted back. "...I hope."

"You _hope_? You don't know!?"

Finally the arrow was completely gone, and the only clue that it had been there at all was the small pile of black dust underneath Impal. The man covered his face with his hands, a low moan escaping from behind them.

"How do you feel?" Hadiya asked curiously.

"Oh goddesses," the man moaned. "What did I do?" He took his hands away and stared in pure horror at the others around. "What did I _do_!?"

"Looks like you were right, Hadi," Link commented.

"It was not your fault, Impal," Hadiya said quietly, glancing at the pool of blood that still lay on the ground. Arlene's blood. _"How can anyone survive losing that much?"_ Hadiya wondered with a jolt of horror.

"No... no... you don't understand..." Impal covered his face again. "I... I _killed_ her."

"Not yet," Link said roughly, tossing the bow back to Orca and completely misunderstanding the Sheikah. "We also don't have time for this. We need to save Zelda."

"Zelda..." Impal stood up sharply. "She's in danger?"

Link ignored him as he started to march out of the room. "Orca!"

"Yeah?" the other man asked, still unable to tear his eyes away from Impal.

"You better know how to work that train by now!"

Orca snapped out of his daze. "Oh, right... the train..."

"Do you?" Hadiya asked.

"Not... really."

"Then we had better hurry and work it out. Perhaps pulling random levers would be our best bet right now."

"Sure. Yeah."

Hadiya turned to Impal, who had yet to move. "You should rest. There is a passenger car in the train. Orca, we had better put Beth and Arlene in there as well."

Orca quickly nodded and raced out of the room. Hadiya was about to follow but stopped when she noticed Impal was still frozen in place. "Impal, we do not have time for you to work out what happened to you. We need to move."

"Right. Right! Zelda needs help."

Hadiya nodded, and so Impal quickly left, striding out of the room on unsteady legs. Before Hadiya stepped out of the room herself, she glanced in back of her, towards the skeleton that still guarded the empty chest. Bowing her head, she mumbled a Gerudo prayer and then slipped away, closing the door behind her. Just before it was completely sealed, a gentle gust of wind blew through from the room, brushing past her in an almost comforting gesture.

"No, you aren't listening!" Sturgeon was shouting, and Hadiya quickly picked up the pace to find out what was going on. She found them all gathered just outside the engine room, except for Beth and Byrne. The two were gathered silently near a badly shivering Arlene, and while Byrne appeared just as clueless to what was going on as he had since he had first seen the train, Beth looked close to panic as she covered the older woman with as many blankets as she could find in their packs.

"There's no coal!" Sturgeon said bitterly to Link. "And no coal means no steam, and no steam means the engine won't work! We can pull as many levers as we want, it's not going to work!"

"He wouldn't just leave a useless train here for us!" Link snapped. "There must be something."

"There's not! Get that through your head, already!"

"We're over a day away from the city, neither Zelda nor Arlene have that time!"

"Well what do you want me to do!? Wave my hands around and magic us up some coal!? I'm telling you, it's not going to run!"

Hadiya felt her shoulders slump as she listened to the argument. Her father would not wait the time that they needed before killing Zelda, and Arlene needed a doctor right then and there, never mind a day later. Never mind even a few minutes later. They needed that train.

A small hand slipped into hers, startling the young Gerudo. Glancing down she saw Byrne, who was staring up at her with serious eyes. "I can drive it," he whispered.

Hadiya glanced back at the train, and at Link and Sturgeon who were still shouting at each other. "How?"

Byrne shrugged. "I don't know. But I can."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!**


	41. Chapter 40: Running Some Calculations

**Man, the weekend just flies right by, doesn't it? Here we are with chapter 40! Thanks to Guest, deflow, sigh, and Nabooru'sapprentice for reviewing, and also to the person who added this to their favorites and is following (forgot to thank you last time, sorry about that!)! Cake and ice cream all around!**

**Guest: Lol, I know, right!**

**deflow: Titles have never been something I've been good at coming up with, but I did try to connect it to the main plot, lol. It is working?**

**sigh: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Also, you have some really cool ideas about Zelda, I can't wait to see if you're right :-D**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: Thanks much :-) You have a cool theory, too! And I know, just five more chapters (four after this one)! :-O It's going to be weird to not have this story to work on anymore, I started working on this thing about half a year ago and I've grown rather attached to it, lol.**

**On with the chapter! Whoosh!**

* * *

Chapter 40

Running Some Calculations

Byrne had been born to a quiet Hylian couple with a completely different name. He couldn't remember what it was. For as long as he could remember there had been voices whispering at him, telling him that he was really Byrne, and he was destined for something great. So he waited patiently for this great destiny, whatever it may be, and listened as the voices grew louder the older he got. Then his parents got sick.

_"It's the water, don't drink straight from the well,"_ the voices had said. He had tried to tell his parents this, but they had said it was fine and to not be so scared of everything.

Eventually he was on his own. He listened to the voices as they guided him to the register. He met a weird lady with green hair, who told him she could find a safe place for him to stay. There were people who could keep him from the mean teachers at the schools, before he even had to take his aptitude test.

_"No! You want to go to school! Tell her!"_ the voices had said.

So he dictated what the voices told him, and he was placed with some strangers for another year before he was old enough to get placed into a school.

_"Don't answer too many questions. The scholar's school isn't for you,"_ the voices had said.

He didn't have a problem not answering their questions. They weren't hard, but he didn't feel much like talking. The voices took up all his attention. Soon he found himself with a small group of other children his age, and they were walking. He didn't remember much of the walk, as the voices were constantly prattling on, telling him that he was getting closer to this great destiny of his.

The school was mean. Much meaner than he thought it would be. He wished he had taken up the receptionist on her offer to go to the safe place. He had to pick awful smelling plants, and some of the older students were constantly tipping them over.

_"The day's almost done,"_ the voices had said. _"You'll make a friend soon."_

Byrne had never had a friend. He wasn't certain he wanted one. That would mean he'd have to have conversations with him, and it was all he could do right now to keep up with the voices only he could hear.

Another student was next to him. "My name is Eddo," the student said.

Byrne wanted to ignore him. He just wanted to cry himself to sleep, he felt so miserable. The voices suddenly fell silent. Why were they being quiet? He glared at this student, wanting to tell him to go away, so that the voices could come back and tell him about his destiny again.

"Hey, don't worry about me, kid. I'm not into pranks. Just wanted to introduce myself."

The student left, and the voices returned.

_"Follow him! He's your friend!"_ the voices had said.

Byrne wasn't sure that was true. Was it really that easy to make a friend? They hadn't even really had a conversation. But Byrne followed the much older student anyway, because the voices grew more insistent the longer he tried to think about what a friend actually was.

Eddo had asked him his name. He had a name, right? What was it his parents used to call him?

_"Byrne,"_ the voices reminded him. An image of himself, looking much older and battle worn, flashed across his mind. _"Remember?"_

Then he got to hear a story from a book that Eddo read. It was long and not all that interesting so he had fallen asleep, but after that the old man, Grandpa, Eddo, and Orca made sure the students didn't pick on him too much. Then Eddo left. Then Orca left, and soon it was just him and Grandpa. He liked Grandpa. He could communicate with him without having to talk, because Grandpa didn't like to talk all that much either.

Grandpa had nearly died; the headmistress was going to kill him. The voices had said he had to follow Grandpa, so he had, and now he had to save his friend. The voices guided him, telling him to run to the kitchens and find a knife. It hadn't been hard to kill the woman. In fact, it had been rather easy. The voices praised him, but they sounded a little sad, too. Byrne didn't understand that. Grandpa just looked relieved, so that was ok. He liked Grandpa better than the voices anyway.

_"Soon,"_ the voices had said. _"Soon your great destiny will be upon you."_

After that he stayed with the rebellion for a while. Then they had to run away. Then a few split off, to find something important. _"Follow! Follow!"_ the voices had said.

He found his chance when he saw Link and Beth leaving to follow. If they were following then it shouldn't be so bad for him to follow, too, right? So he did, and the voices started to get more excited. _"Soon."_

They found a secret underground temple. He didn't think it was all that interesting, but the others seemed excited about it. Then they found a diary.

_"Remember?"_ the voices pressed as Link read the entry. _"You knew that family. You knew that man's ancestor."_

More images flashed through his brain. He was fighting a young boy garbed in a green tunic and hat. He was losing. He felt a bit annoyed about that. He was much taller and looked much stronger, so why was he losing to the little guy? It didn't make sense, and eventually the voices gave up.

Then they found the train. He had thought the voices had been loud before, but now they were practically shouting right into his ear.

_"Remember? You were on this train before!"_

More images. More memories he couldn't understand. He used to be a Lokomo, a guardian to these lands, but then he stopped doing that. He couldn't remember why, but the voices said it wasn't important. He had changed his mind again after a while anyway, but it had been too late. He didn't survive. An old friend had saved him from permanent death. What was her name? It wasn't important; at least, that's what the voices told him.

_"Remember the trains? This one here is special. It's the Spirit Train. You don't need coal to make it move. You just have to be you. It will remember you, if you remember it."_

He was a Lokomo, and the Spirit Train had been entrusted to his tribe by more powerful spirits. Byrne clutched at his head. This was wrong. He wasn't supposed to remember any of this. His old friend had said he wouldn't.

_"Sorry!"_ the voices had said. _"But you have to! These lands need your protection again. Remember?"_

He did remember. He remembered the trains. He knew which levers to pull, he knew what it was like to ride with his head out the window, feeling the wind slap against his face and watching the scenery blur into lines of colors.

"Ok," he said. The voices fell silent.

Sturgeon was shouting, and now that the voices were quiet he could hear that. "Well what do you want me to do!? Wave my hands around and magic us up some coal!? I'm telling you, it's not going to run!"

He didn't want to try to interrupt Sturgeon, so he decided to tell Hadiya. Hadiya could interrupt anyone, because everyone else was sort of scared of her. At least, that was the feeling he got, except from Link. For some reason, Link wasn't scared of the Gerudo girl. Once he had asked the voices about that, but they had just laughed quietly, as if he were too young to understand it. But now the voices were quiet.

"Where are you going?" Beth asked, but he ignored her.

He tugged at Hadiya's cloak, but she didn't seem to notice. He tried again but still no reaction, so he grabbed her hand instead. "I can drive it," he whispered. Because he remembered. He remembered what it was like to be free. Beside him the train seemed to shimmer. No one else noticed it, but he did. The train knew that he knew. Because the train remembered what it was like to be free, too.

* * *

Major Russ was more in his element now. The Hylian civilians had finally settled down, especially once they had managed to get enough food for all of them. Now he was planning something he actually knew how to plan: a rescue.

"The Light Bow is still at least a day away from us, so we won't have time to wait for them to get back," Russ said to the woman he had selected to be his second in command.

The younger woman nodded in agreement. "We'll have to move fast. How much explosives do we have left?"

"Enough to reopen one of our already existing tunnels."

"You planning on sneaking in through the palace station again?" she asked in surprise.

Russ shook his head. "No, that'll be too risky. Ganondorf will probably have that place swarming with guards. What we'll do is come up a bit before the palace, maybe in the grounds somewhere in back. Then we'll storm it from there. Hopefully we'll create enough of a distraction that the general will be able take advantage of."

"I recommend having a second team that can sneak in while the majority of us create that distraction," the woman said.

Russ nodded slowly. He recalled the general doing a similar plan before Impal had betrayed them all. Maybe this time, since there were no traitors in their midst, it would actually work. "Agreed," he said finally. "Now then... where's that Lucine?"

"You're... you're going to use the Gerudo?"

"We're going to need everyone we can get," Russ replied. "Besides, if they didn't want to stick around with us Hylians they could've left ages ago. And... I'm hoping that some of the Gerudo still following Ganondorf will hesitate to fire on their own people."

The woman shrugged. "Whatever you say, sir. I'll go find her."

Russ fidgeted nervously with his belt. "If this works I'd better get a promotion." A smile worked its way across his long face, and as he waited for Lucine to arrive he entertained himself by repeating his name with the rank of colonel in front of it. Colonel Russ. It certainly had a nice ring to it.

After a few minutes Lucine appeared. He was just in the middle of briefing her on his plan, to which she listened to without interrupting, when a strange noise filled the cavern. It was almost like a low hum, but it only lasted a few seconds before stopping.

"Did you hear that?" Russ asked.

"What?" Lucine asked, tilting her head as she tried to listen. "All I hear is your people complaining."

"Shut up a minute."

Lucine was about to say something else anyway when the noise returned, much louder than before. The ground underneath them began to rattle, and both Russ and Lucine could feel the train tracks next to their feet vibrating.

"What is that?" Lucine asked, stepping closer to the tracks.

Linebeck suddenly appeared at Russ' side and pulled him and Lucine away from the tracks. "Clear the way," the man said calmly.

"You know what this is?" Russ asked as the noise returned. Another noise was gradually making itself known as well, though Russ couldn't place that one either; it sounded like some sort of chugging sound.

"Grandma's back," Linebeck said with a shrug before pointing down the tracks towards the sealed tunnel.

Russ' eyes widened with realization. "Clear the tracks! Get away from the wall!"

The area was cleared just as the collapsed tunnel wall was blasted away by a powerful cannon shot. Chunks of rock sprayed the area, nearly crushing the few people that hadn't been eager enough to listen to Russ right away. Before the dust could even clear a large machine came flying down the tracks, bright blues and greens flashing in the dim light. It slowed to a stop in the middle of the cavern, steam spitting out from the wheels and engine as it came to a screeching rest. The last of the steam was released when a little boy, Byrne, reached up and pulled the cord to blow the train's whistle. The noise was near deafening as it filled the large cavern, but everyone was too enthralled with the appearance of the train to even really notice the volume.

Byrne poked his head out of the nearest window, a large grin on his face. "All aboard!"

Orca and Sturgeon were standing near Byrne, but they were far too busy arguing over how they should aim the cannon at the next wall blocking their way to even notice they had stopped. Climbing down from the passenger car, Link and Hadiya left the train and started to approach Russ and Lucine, who were gaping at the large vehicle.

"Where the... where did you _find_ that!?" Russ asked as Linebeck raced past them and entered the passenger car.

"Do you really want to waste our valuable time with stories? We require a doctor, Arlene is badly hurt," Hadiya said before turning to Lucine. "Prepare our sisters. We need to move quickly."

"Yes, milady!" Lucine turned, but then turned around again so quickly she nearly tripped. "I nearly forgot! I found this." Lucine handed Hadiya the Triforce of Wisdom. "I'm not certain what it is, but it looks important."

"It is," Hadiya said quietly. "Thank you."

Lucine nodded and marched off. Russ had already left to get his own troops together and aboard the train.

Hadiya sighed and glanced at Link, who was staring at the Triforce piece with an unreadable expression.

"When did she lose it?" he finally asked.

"Some time ago. ...It keeps coming back to me for safekeeping."

Link snorted. "Maybe you should just keep it."

Hadiya smiled down fondly at it. "It is not for me."

_"Betrayed,"_ the Triforce whispered to her; she had missed that voice. She had grown up listening to it, and it had always been a constant, calming presence to her. _"He feels betrayed."_

_"Of course he does,"_ Hadiya thought to herself, though the idea came as a revelation. _"He sacrificed himself back in Father's palace thinking he was protecting you. ...She should have told him."_

She took in a breath of the clean forest air. "Link-"

"We should hurry." He strode away from her, back towards the train.

She let him go and turned back to the Triforce of Wisdom. "I don't know..." she whispered to it. "If I can let them kill him. He's... still my father, and... I think he actually cares for me, though he has never said it."

The Triforce remained silent, though it seemed to glow a bit brighter, as if in sympathy.

"What should I do?"

The Triforce didn't answer.

Hadiya felt a pang of anger. "Why will you not answer me? Why do you abandon me _now_?"

* * *

Soon most of the other Gerudo and rebels had crammed themselves into either the passenger car or the cargo area, and all that was left were the Hylian civilians and a few rebels left behind to guard them. Linebeck was staying as well, his eyes never leaving his great-grandmother as several nurses and a doctor swarmed around her in the corner of the cavern that had been set up to act as a hospital. Beth and Sera stood nearby, as close as they could manage without getting in the way.

Phrases such as "lost far too much blood," and "can't even see the bullet," floated around the cavern in urgent voices. Link was soon standing at Sera's shoulder, a torn expression on his face as he glanced back to the train that was being filled with soldiers.

"She'll be fine, Link," Sera said encouragingly, patting him on his back.

"Yeah... Just..." Link chewed on his lip. "When she wakes up, just tell her that-"

Sera's hand suddenly flew up and smacked him on the back of her head.

"Ow! What?! What did I do this time?!" Link snapped, rubbing at his head.

"Honestly, the way you talk," Sera said with a huff. "You tell her yourself when you get back." She grinned at him as she winked, and Link slowly grinned back.

"Sure."

"You be careful, dear. None of that stupid courage of yours, ok?"

Link chuckled at the familiar conversation. "No stupid courage." With that he gave her his own wink and then marched towards the train.

Sera watched him, shaking her head and muttering under her breath, "I don't know why I bother."

"Hey, Beth!" Orca suddenly shouted towards Sera's daughter from the engine room of the train. "You coming or what?"

Beth looked up in surprise, to where he and his brother were standing beside Byrne. "You... you _want_ me to come?"

"Sure, why not! If all else fails you could probably talk Ganondorf to death."

The train whistle blew again, and Orca turned to see a still overly excited Byrne waving his hand through the window. "Last call! All aboard!"

"You can't leave until we're ready!" Sturgeon shouted down at the boy.

"We'll never be ready if you don't get that wall down!" Byrne shouted back.

"Well if my useless brother would just let me have full control of the cannon-"

"I'm telling you, we need to angle it this way!" Orca snapped, tugging at the lever.

"That's too low of an angle! I ran the calculations, see!?"

Orca ignored the paper that was being waved in front of his face. "And I ran my own calculations!"

Sturgeon scoffed. "With what!? You can't even add double digit numbers in your head!"

Beth felt like she should probably try to get them to stop arguing, and was just about to do just that when Link beat her to it. He shoved his way between the brothers and yanked down on the firing mechanism.

"No, wait!" both Orca and Sturgeon shouted, but the cannon already fired.

A large cannon ball flew through the air in a flash of gunpowder and a cloud of smoke. It crashed into the wall in front of the train, flinging the thick rocks out of the cavern. The tracks before them were now clear.

"There!" Link snapped. "It's a big target, it's not that hard to hit, guys!

* * *

**Next chapter begins the final battle! So exciting! Thanks for reading, folks!**


	42. Chapter 41: Tradition

**Happy Wednesday everyone! Thanks to Guest, Deflow, fooler, and sigh for reviewing!**

**Guest: I do have plans for a sequel, but I don't write lemons (unless you're talking about lemon meringue pie!). So... no.**

**Deflow: I'm not really sure which Link from the games would be best to compare this Link with... never really thought about it much. Maybe you'll be able to answer your own question after the final battle! Lol, the next episode... It would be awesome if this got turned into a tv series ^_^ Golly, now I'm gonna be thinking of that all day (or night rather, as it is rather late where I am right now...). I bet it would have an awesome theme song, too.**

**fooler: I'm glad you're enjoying Sturgeon and Orca! A lot of their stupid arguments are inspired by the stupid arguments that me and my brothers used to have, lol.**

**sigh: You'll find out soon about what Zelda's gonna end up doing! :-)**

* * *

Chapter 41

Tradition

They decided to carry out Major Russ' plan, with only a few minor adjustments. The majority of the rebellion would disembark from the train before they reached the station, and with the help of the train's cannon clear a tunnel into the palace grounds. From there they would try to make as much noise as possible, to distract Ganondorf from the train station below him, which was where a smaller team would sneak in and try to find Zelda.

"We need to find the Master Sword, too," Link said as the train sped through the dark tunnel.

Hadiya nodded. "My father will most likely keep it close to him, so if we find him we find the sword. And probably Zelda as well."

Beth frowned. "...Ed, who's Zelda? I thought we were looking for the general!"

"Not now, Beth," Link said tiredly while Orca quickly pulled the girl aside to try and explain. Link reached over and tapped Byrne on the shoulder. "Stop it here. We should be under the palace grounds by now."

Byrne nodded and quickly pulled a few levers. The train screeched to a stop, and most of the cars were quickly emptied of Hylians and Gerudo alike. After a few cannon shots, they broke through the ground and had a sharply inclining tunnel that led up into the red hues of evening light.

"Good luck," Hadiya called out to Lucine as she and the rest of the Gerudo charged forward. It didn't take long for Russ and the other Hylians to join them.

The train started in again immediately, leaving behind the first few sounds of gunfire as it made its way towards its next destination. The palace station was quickly reached, and while it held several guards a few shots from the cannon easily cleared the area, leaving behind a few scorch marks on the walls and puffs of quickly dwindling smoke.

Link swung down from the train and landed on the platform below before turning and helping Hadiya down. She landed onto the platform gracefully, and then gave Link a nod of thanks.

"You're sure you're able to do this?" he asked her, studying her face with concern.

"Are you?" Hadiya replied.

Link winked at her and then turned to face the rest of the station they were in. "You know which way the throne room is from here?" Link asked as he stepped away from the train, leaving room for the others that had come with him to climb down.

Hadiya nodded.

"Good. Byrne, stay here with the train and get ready to get it moving again, in case things don't go to plan."

"Right!"

"Sturgeon, you should stay here, too,"

"What for!?" the scholar asked, one foot hovering in the air as he stopped from jumping off the train.

Link pointed at the cannon. "Just incase we need some cover fire when we get back."

"Oh fine," Sturgeon griped.

Link looked back to the others; Hadiya already had her gun in hand and was checking out the ladder that led up to the palace. Orca was standing nearby, looking about the room curiously, and Beth was inching closer to him, a look of determination on her face. From the way she had her shoulders hunched Link had the feeling she was trying to sneak past without letting him notice her.

"Beth," Link began, but the girl glared at him.

"If you even think of making me stay behind I swear I'll shoot you!"

Link raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Ok, fine." He started towards the ladder, glancing towards the passenger car as he went. "Impal! If you're coming you'd better shake a leg in there!"

The large Sheikah soon joined them, just as they were beginning to climb the ladder. As Hadiya led them through the maze that made up the lowest floor of the palace, they could hear the sound of people running through the halls above them. Heavy boots stomped overhead, and as Hadiya listened to the direction they were taking she gave the others a confident nod.

"They're headed towards the grounds outside."

"Well that's great!" Orca said cheerfully. "Maybe we won't have to deal with any of them."

Beth groaned as they continued walking. "Why'd you have to say that? You probably just jinxed the whole thing!"

Finally they reached the doors that led to the main entranceway. Hadiya, Link, and Impal carefully slipped through first, followed closely by Orca and Beth, who were both clutching their guns tightly.

"Up these stairs is the fastest way," Hadiya whispered, gesturing down the large, empty hall towards a long flight of stairs.

Link nodded and then led the way, giving the Light Bow a tug as he went to make sure it was still secure around his shoulders. The stairs led up to another hallway, and beyond that was another flight of stairs that spiraled up sharply. The stairs were narrow, and they were forced to walk in single file as they traveled up.

Every so often they would pass a window, and through it they could see the rebellion outside, moving from cover to cover as the Gerudo fired back.

"They seem evenly matched for the moment," Hadiya commented with relief.

Link nodded, noticing that for every fallen rebel he saw there was also an enemy Gerudo somewhere nearby.

They also passed by several closed doors, each of which they walked by with caution, half expecting each one to spring open before they could move beyond it. They were passing one such door when the sound of footsteps above them reached their ears.

"Someone's coming," Hadiya whispered.

Link kicked down the door they had been about to pass. "In here, hurry!"

They scrambled into a somewhat large room that was completely empty save for several crates of ammo and rows of shelves attached to the walls, each holding several weapons. Impal was the last inside, and he quickly slammed the door shut and leaned against it, incase anyone else tried to get in.

"This... looks like an armory," Orca said nervously.

"Yeah," Link replied. "Anyone want to bet that those Gerudo up there aren't heading here?"

Beth cautiously started to raise her hand, but Orca quickly grabbed it and pushed it back down.

"I told you you jinxed it!" she muttered to him.

"There is another set of stairs over here!" Hadiya said as she raced towards the far end of the room. A smaller door was there, partially hidden between two of the shelves. "They can bring us around from here."

Impal's entire body suddenly jerked as something heavy slammed into the door he was holding.

"Got anything to hold this door?" he asked casually, as if in the middle of a normal conversation about the weather and not holding back a mob of people who wouldn't hesitate to kill them all. Orca and Beth quickly leaped forward to help him hold the door shut as it gave another shudder.

"Just those scimitars," Hadiya replied, pushing the other door open and peering into a darker hallway. "It looks clear here!"

Link looked over at the three holding the larger door shut. "Orca-"

"We've got it!" Orca interrupted. "Go!"

Link and Hadiya raced down the narrow hallway, leaving the armory behind.

* * *

"Me and my big mouth," Orca grumbled as the shoving on the other end of the door grew more and more insistent.

Through the wood they could hear one of the Gerudo as she started to speak. "Go around the other way!" the woman shouted. "Something's really got this door stuck!"

Orca and Beth looked at each other.

"By other way," Beth began nervously. "Does she mean..."

Impal gave a nod. "Go the way that Link and Hadiya just went? Probably."

"You should catch up with them," Orca said quickly. "We can hold this door, and they'll need help."

Impal looked down at the shorter man. "You sure?"

Beth gave him a sharp kick in his shins. "He said it, didn't he!? Get going!"

Impal bowed his head and then pushed away from the door. As they watched him run out of the room the way Link and Hadiya had just gone, they noticed he had a slight limp in his gait.

"What'd you kick him for?" Orca asked. "That sounded painful."

"I'm nervous, ok!?" Beth snapped at him. "When I'm nervous I tend to get impulsive!"

Another shove to the door sent them both toppling over.

"Got it!" a Gerudo said proudly as the door swung open after them. There were several of the tall, red haired women gathered just outside the doorway, and as they noticed Orca and Beth sprawled out on the ground their excitement over finally making it to the armory disappeared from their faces.

"Um..." Beth said uncertainly.

Orca had a better plan, and he quickly grabbed Beth by the hand and pulled her towards the crates of ammo.

As they ducked behind the crates, the Gerudo snapped out of their initial shock and quickly charged after them, shooting at the pair's heads just before they disappeared behind the wooden boxes. Not waiting to be surrounded, Orca and Beth quickly peeked over the tops of the crates and began to fire back. Behind the first few Gerudo that had entered lay the open door, and as the seconds ticked by several more Gerudo charged in to join the already outmatched fight.

* * *

Link and Hadiya made it back to the stairs they had been on before just as a small group of Gerudo came charging up to get to the hallway the pair had just left. The stair case was filled with the sound of guns being drawn and readied, and then both sides remained stationary for a moment, each sizing the other up.

"Lower your weapons!" Hadiya called out, though she had a feeling they wouldn't listen to her. Any Gerudo that wanted to follow her was already outside with Lucine, helping the rebellion.

The Gerudo before her immediately aimed their guns at her, proving Hadiya's doubts correct. Beside her Link tensed, preparing to pull the trigger of his small pistol and, she noticed, subtly stepping slightly in front of her. Before either side could fire however, Impal burst between the two groups from the small hall, blocking the Gerudo's sight of Hadiya and Link.

Impal didn't even look at the pair before giving a deafening bellow and charging towards the Gerudo. A few managed to get some shots off before the heavy man was upon them, bowling into them and pushing them aside as if they were as light as feathers.

"Come on!" Link said, nudging Hadiya in the shoulder before racing up the stairs.

Hadiya quickly followed, but not before risking one more glance at the Sheikah warrior. Years of having been imprisoned in his own mind had given him a furious strength; she was grateful the warrior was on their side now.

* * *

Zelda reappeared in the center of Ganondorf's throne room. It was more empty than when she had left it, and only Ganondorf was still there, waiting for her. He was seated in his throne, a bored expression on his face as he watched the blue light fade and leave behind a very angry looking Hylian monarch.

"Well it's about time you got back!" Ganondorf commented as he stood up. "Oh and look, you kept the sword." He laughed as she crouched slightly, into a basic fighting stance. "You actually want to fight me? _Me_? Well..." Ganondorf glanced out of one of the windows, at the battle raging outside on his grounds, and then back to Zelda before drawing out his sword once more. "I guess I can spare a couple seconds."

He sprang forward quickly, and Zelda had just enough time to react and bring the Master Sword up to block his attack. The two blades clashed angrily, and as the sharp clang rang in her ears Zelda felt the pain from her broken ribs returning.

_"Better make this quick, Zelda,"_ she thought to herself. With a shout she swung her sword around, aiming right for the man's neck.

Ganondorf moved away, far too fast for any normal person, and was in back of Zelda before she could even blink. She felt his boot connect with her back and very nearly fell flat on her face. Catching herself just in time she whirled around and brought the Master Sword up, catching Ganondorf's blade just before it struck her. She struck out again, but just as last time he was gone from the spot she was aiming at long before it could hit him.

_"He's way too fast! Must be his Triforce helping him out... cheating bastard."_

* * *

Link and Hadiya reached the end of the stairs. Stepping off the last step, they entered a wide hallway with a long, dark red carpet covering it and stretching towards a set of large double doors at the other end. Along the walls on both sides were large statues of Ganondorf himself, each in different poses.

"Through there," Hadiya said. "That's the throne room."

The sound of swords clashing from the other side of those doors reached their ears, and Link frowned. "Is she... _fighting_ him?" He gave a growl and started to race for the doors. "What is she thinking!? She doesn't even have any Triforce powers!"

Hadiya ran after him, but before they could even make it halfway several Gerudo guards stepped out from behind the statues, surrounding the pair in a circle of twirling scimitars. Recognizing their uniforms as being part of the elite guard, Hadiya quickly discarded her gun and unsheathed a blade of her own.

Link raised an eyebrow at her.

"It is not honorable to fight an elite guard with a ranged weapon," Hadiya replied snippily, moving so she and Link were standing back to back.

"Yeah, well, this is all I've got," Link said as he pointed his gun at the Gerudo standing directly in front of him. His tone didn't sound apologetic at all.

"Surrender, Hadiya, and you will be spared," one of the guards said, the long veil over all their faces keeping them from seeing which was actually moving her mouth to speak.

Hadiya raised her sword to her forehead in a salute. "Die well, sisters."

The others all copied the motion.

Behind her Hadiya heard Link mutter, "This is ridiculous." He fired just before the surrounding Gerudo charged towards them.

As Hadiya let herself sink into the sword training she had been taught by Lucine since before she could even lift a sword properly, she found herself worrying that Link was turning into Zelda.

* * *

As the battles raged above them, Byrne and Sturgeon sat inside the train with matching expressions of intense concentration. For a long moment silence was all that filled the room.

Then Byrne nudged the older Hylian with his foot.

"What!?" Sturgeon snapped impatiently.

"It's your turn," Byrne said in annoyance.

"I'm thinking! Give me a minute!"

"I gave you five already! Just go!"

"Fine!" Sturgeon took one final look around the room and then turned back to face Byrne. "I spy with my little eye something brown."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	43. Chapter 42: Nothing Left

**Ugh, I wanted to get this up much sooner, but for some reason ff wouldn't let me log in! Why do you hate me so, fanfiction!? But I finally made it in, muhaha! **

**Anyway, thanks to Nabooru'sapprentice and Guest for reviewing!**

**Nabooru'sapprentice: LOL! Now I'm going to be picturing Ganondorf with a really curly mustache, and him twirling it and cackling evilly every time he does something. That's too funny! Oh, and, uh... thanks for thinking Ganondorf is interesting! That made me really happy! As for your questions... read on, mon ami!**

**Guest: Thanks very much! Your answer to your question is fast approaching!**

* * *

Chapter 42

Nothing Left

Orca and Beth were being overwhelmed by the Gerudo as more and more of the women continued to pour into the room. They barely had enough time to duck out from behind their cover long enough to fire a single shot, never mind to actually aim.

The pair looked at each other, and as Orca saw the tears beginning to pool in Beth's eyes he knew exactly what she was thinking. He was thinking it, too. Surrender. It was probably their best chance at survival at this point, but the more he thought about it the angrier he felt about it.

_"What would Sturgeon do!?"_ Orca asked himself furiously.

He fumbled around on his belt, looking for anything else that might give him an idea. The only other item he had was a radio. He stared at it for a long moment, an idea beginning to form in his mind.

"Sturgeon!" Orca shouted through it, swinging his arm up to fire a few shots without even bothering to look at where the gun was pointing. "Are you there?"

"Where else would I be!?" his brother shouted back at him from the radio.

Beth glared at him. "What are you doing!?"

Not having time to explain, Orca ignored her. "Do you have anything that can track radios with you?"

"Of course I do," came the smug reply. "I spied it ten minutes ago."

"...What? Never mind, it's not important. Listen, I want you to track where my radio is and then fire a cannon shot in that direction."

"What!?" both Sturgeon and Beth shouted at him.

"Sturgeon, just do it!" Then Orca flung the radio away from him, right into the middle of the Gerudo troops.

"Are you insane!? We're too close!" Beth screamed.

"It'll work!"

Beth didn't have time to answer. The floor beneath the Gerudo suddenly exploded into a cloud of sharp, wooden splinters as a cannon ball crashed through it, bringing with it pieces of floor and ceiling from the rooms below them and scattering the debris everywhere. Lacking support, the rest of the floor in the room began to collapse. Beth and Orca didn't even have time to scream before they began to fall along with it.

* * *

Link had his back pressed against the wall, and Hadiya was in front of him, keeping the Gerudo elite guards at bay as he shot at them over his friend's shoulders. They had only managed to take out two so far, and there were still four remaining. He had no idea how they were doing it, but they moved their blades so quickly most of his bullets were deflected away from them harmlessly. He and Hadiya had a good system in place, however, and worked off of each other as if they had been fighting together their entire lives. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last forever; Link was already beginning to run low on bullets, and he could tell Hadiya was tiring. Her blade rang out with every pounding of the enemy swords, filling the hall with the steady clangs of metal on metal, and the force behind each blow was obvious. He was amazed she was able to keep up with them at all.

Then, just as he fired his last piece of ammo, disabling one of the guards with a hit to the arm, a large cannon ball came bursting into the room from below. It blasted straight through the guards in front of them before disappearing through the ceiling, leaving behind a large, ragged hole in the floor where the Gerudo guards used to be.

Hadiya gave a startled gasp and then a horrified moan. "That is not how they should have died!"

"Where did that even come from?" Link asked as he peered down the gaping hole that took up almost the entire width of the hallway.

Behind him, Hadiya suddenly gripped him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Look out!"

His head pulled away from the hole just before the cannon ball came back into view.

"It's falling back down!"

As soon as it passed them again, Link leaned back over, watching as it fell back the way it had come, making most of the holes in the floors even larger with the sound of groaning and breaking wood marking its progress. He traded a confused expression with Hadiya before they continued their charge towards the throne room. Along the way Link tossed his now empty gun away from him and reached for the Light Bow.

Hadiya arrived at the large double doors first, and she quickly pushed them open. Zelda and Ganondorf were easy to spot, as they were both in the center of the room. The Hylian general was collapsed on the floor, a defiant glare on her face, with the Gerudo king standing over her, his sword raised in the air as he prepared to swing it down upon her. The Master Sword lay a few feet away from them, out of Zelda's reach. Hadiya remained frozen to the spot, standing in the doorway and trying to think of what to do.

Neither monarch had noticed that the room had more people in it now, and as Hadiya looked from Zelda to her father she found herself uncertain on whose side to take. A moment later she felt Link shove her to the side. He had an arrow notched in the Light Bow, and as she stumbled into the door frame he fired it towards Ganondorf. She could only watch as it flew towards her father.

* * *

Zelda was losing. Her ribs were filling her brain with a burning pain that grew with each swing of the Master Sword. She knew she wouldn't last much longer. Then there was a strange explosion, and if Zelda didn't know better she would have thought someone had fired a cannon indoors. Of course she knew no one would be that stupid, but it was what it _sounded_ like. The entire room shook with the force of whatever had caused the explosion, and both Zelda and Ganondorf were knocked away from each other.

The pain in her ribs flared up again, and finally her brain had had enough. Her lungs stopped working, and as the room continued to shake she felt herself falling. The Master Sword was kicked out of her grasp, and looking up she saw Ganondorf was already preparing to end their fight.

She glared at him. He smiled at her. Then he was shot in the arm with an arrow that was glowing with a light so bright she had to look away.

Ganondorf screamed as she rolled away from him. She saw Link walking into the room, already notching another arrow onto the bowstring. Zelda felt like laughing as relief flooded through her. _"They found it!"_

Yanking the arrow from his arm, Ganondorf glared at Link. "You!" he sneered.

Zelda noticed that Link seemed to be struggling with keeping the bow steady as he pulled at the string, and remembered about his still wounded shoulder. "Link!" She bounded forward and scooped up the Master Sword. "Trade!"

Firing another arrow into Ganondorf if only to distract him for a moment, Link quickly handed the bow and arrows over to the woman and then took the sword. A grin instantly broke across his face. "Long time no see, old friend."

Zelda was about to respond when she noticed where his gaze was pointed. An exasperated glare grew on her face. "Quit talking to a sword and go kill him," she ordered. "I'll cover you."

With a nod, Link turned to face Ganondorf. The Gerudo was breathing heavily, and it took him longer to remove the latest arrow that had embedded itself into him.

"You cannot hope to defeat me, even with these petty Light Arrows," Ganondorf hissed, snapping the arrow in two and tossing the pieces away from him.

Link gave a bored sigh, though the fury in his eyes negated his act at nonchalance. "Ganondorf, right now I could probably kill you without even this sword."

Their swords clashed as Zelda tried to find a better position to shoot from. Hadiya remained in the doorway, watching the battle unfold with uncertain eyes. Both Link and Ganondorf were ruthless in their assault. The two swords were mere blurs that didn't even stop when they collided; small sparks fell from the weapons every time they clashed, casting large and distorted shadows across the walls. Zelda finally found a place she seemed to be happy with, and was just about to shoot when Impal came rushing into the room.

Hadiya watched as the focus on Zelda's face slipped. She stared at Impal with a growing expression of hatred and disgust. The Sheikah stared back at her. Forgetting all about Link and Ganondorf, Zelda dropped the Light Bow and charged at the much larger man.

* * *

Orca awoke with a groan. He tried to breathe, but found a cloud of dust blocked out most of the oxygen his body was craving. Coughing, he sat up stiffly. Splintered boards fell away from him as he moved, leaving him covered in smaller bits of wood.

"Hey!" the voice of his brother reached his ears, though it sounded oddly muffled. A ringing noise in his ears was taking up most of his hearing at the moment. His brother's voice was persistent, however, and it soon began to break through the strangely thick air.

"Hey! Where are you guys?!"

Orca looked around and saw that he was underneath a small pile of rubble. The more sturdy floor boards had created some impromptu support beams, and the rest of the rubble had fallen around these boards like the walls of a tent, sealing Orca into a bubble of ruin. With a start he remembered the fall, and he quickly scrambled to his knees in search of Beth. He spotted her a little ways off, stuck in the bubble just as he was.

"Sturgeon," Orca called out before another coughing fit overtook him.

"Hang on! We're working on clearing this out! Byrne! Leave the cannon ball alone and help me! What are you even doing with that? ...It's not a toy! You couldn't roll it if you wanted to anyway! Now move it, kid!"

"Where are we?" Orca shouted through the rubble as he crawled towards Beth. He didn't feel any pain, but his entire body was stiff and hard to move.

"You guys fell all the way back down to the train station. That was the stupidest idea you've ever had, I can't believe I listened to you! You're lucky you had all this rubble around to cushion some of your fall, or you'd have gone kersplat! You hear me!? Kersplat!"

Behind him Orca could hear the sounds of the wood being moved around. He still couldn't see his brother, but from the growing volume of his voice he was probably getting close.

"Beth?" Orca shook at the girl's shoulder, brushing some of the dust off of her face.

Her eyes slowly opened, and as soon as they found Orca's face she began to glare at him. "What sort of plan was that!?" she snapped at him as he helped her sit up.

"It worked, didn't it!?"

Beth didn't bother saying anything else. Instead she grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and pulled him close to her before kissing him.

"Here we go!" Sturgeon said happily as the last of the rubble in the short tunnel he was digging finally came free. Byrne was beside him and as soon as they spotted the kissing pair, matching expressions of disgust flickered across their faces.

"Ew," they both grumbled.

* * *

Zelda had only one thing on her mind at the moment: putting a fist into Impal's face. After that, hopefully find a gun. But as she drew nearer, something in her made her stop. Impal was staring at her, but with eyes she hadn't seen in such a long time. They were the eyes that he had had when she had first met him. When their daughter had been born. The eyes he had had before he had been captured by the Gerudo; he had claimed he had managed to escape, but his eyes had been different. She had assumed it was just because of his imprisonment, because she had seen other Hylians who had been released from the Gerudo prison before, and they never looked the same either. But now those eyes were back, and she _knew_ what had happened.

Her pace slowed so that by the time she was close enough to hit him she was completely stopped. She saw the sorrow and the raw pain in those eyes. The eyes she thought she'd never see again. With a wail she couldn't contain, she collapsed into his arms, sobs racking her already broken body.

"Zelda," Impal whispered into her hair. "I... can't."

Zelda pulled back and looked back into those eyes. A moment of pure understanding passed between them and Zelda nodded. "I know."

Impal handed her a knife from the folds of his Sheikah uniform. Zelda took it, wasted just a moment to steady her hands and stare into those eyes, and then stabbed it into his heart.

He fell into her, and Zelda let her head dip so their foreheads rested against one another's.

"I'm sorry," they both whispered. They both knew it wasn't enough, but it would have to do. Because, in the end, what else could they have said?

"Hadi, what are you doing!?" Link's shout brought Zelda back to the rest of the room.

Turning on her knees and letting Impal fall to the ground beside her, she saw that Hadiya was standing only a short distance away from her, a gun pointed at Link. He and Ganondorf were still locked in battle, their blades were currently grinding against one another, emitting an awful scraping noise from the force behind each sword. Link tried to keep their weapons in that position as he watched Hadiya out of the corner of his eye.

"I am sorry!" Hadiya shouted back; by the tone of her voice, Zelda could tell the girl was on the brink of tears. "I cannot let you kill him! Please don't kill him! He's my father, and I love him!"

Ganondorf looked just as startled by this revelation as Zelda felt. Link was the only one who didn't look surprised, as he closed his eyes briefly and let out a sigh.

"Hadiya," Ganondorf began quietly. He let one of his hands go from his sword and swung it around, hitting the still distracted Link in the face.

Link fell away from Ganondorf, his head slamming hard against the wall before he slumped to the ground.

"Wait!" Hadiya shouted before her father could kill the unconscious man. "Please, just let them go! Let all the Hylians just leave! We don't need them! You have Hyrule, so why don't you just let them leave?"

Ganondorf looked towards Hadiya with a grimace. "You don't understand, Hadiya! You never had to live with the Hylians' banishment of our people. They must pay for their sins! Besides... I have the entire Triforce right here! All I have to do is take it from these pathetic Hylians, and then nothing can stop us! We could rule the entire world, Hadi!"

Hadiya looked taken aback. "You haven't called me that in ages."

Ganondorf crossed his arms. "Like I told you yesterday, you're always my Hadi."

"...Yesterday? I was not here yesterday, Father."

Ganondorf chuckled. "You do look a bit older now! But anyway, Hadi, we both know I need the Triforce, and they probably won't give it up willingly, so..."

Hadiya blinked, trying to keep up with the conversation. Deciding she could sort through the rest later, she concentrated on saving her friends. After that... well, it would appear her father needed some care as well. Perhaps he had for a while, and if she had just noticed that then maybe they wouldn't even be in this room, threatening each other.

The Gerudo king turned back towards Link, raising his sword yet again.

"Please, Father, don't! Let them live!"

Ganondorf took on a lecturing tone. "Hadiya, a ruler has to be strong. Sometimes one must sacrifice one's... _friends_... for the good of the others." The man smiled at her. "Besides, _he'll_ always be a threat to us."

The sound of a gun being fired had Ganondorf leaning back slightly, just before a bullet flew past his head and dug harmlessly into the wall. With a tired sigh he turned to face Zelda, who had taken Impal's gun from the Sheikah's body.

"You just don't give up with the guns, do you?" he asked the Hylian amusedly. "I'll deal with you in a minute!"

"Wait!" Hadiya protested, desperately trying to come up with something she could use to save everyone. _"No one has to die..."_ she told herself, hating how uncertain her own internal voice sounded. _"Please don't let anyone die."_

"What now, Hadi?"

"There is no need to kill Zelda," Hadiya said quickly, pulling at straws that weren't really there.

Her father looked at her with a confused expression. "Why is that?"

"Because... I have-"

Zelda tackled the girl to the ground. It had only taken her a moment after Hadiya had said Ganondorf didn't need to kill her that she had put it together. She had her Wisdom. _Again_.

Ganondorf screamed out Hadiya's name in a panicked voice. He watched for only an instant as the two women struggled over the Triforce piece. "Get away from her, Hylian!" That was when Ganondorf completely forgot about Link, and any thoughts of killing his enemy disappeared as he saw his daughter in distress. That was when he made his biggest mistake, because Link was beginning to wake up again. A sphere of dark magic began to crackle around his hands as he aimed at Zelda, but before he could throw it he felt something pulling him back. He could barely even move, but he struggled against this sudden block on his magic and turned his head.

Link was gripping tightly to his leg, the Triforce symbol on his hand glowing brightly.

"Not this again," Ganondorf growled. Desperately he pushed back, his own Triforce beginning to shimmer as well.

* * *

The Triforce was calling to Zelda, she could hear it more clearly than Ganondorf as he spat insults to both her and Link. Finally she managed to get a proper grip on Hadiya's neck, after which she promptly slammed the girl's head against the floor. Taking advantage of the younger woman's dazed look, Zelda grabbed the Triforce from her and then leaped back.

It remained in the palm of her hand, and it refused to sink into her skin even when she glared at it icily. That glare could get any member of her rebellion running to promptly do whatever she had ordered, but it would appear that such looks went right over the Triforce's head. Glancing back up she saw Link trapped in some sort of mental battle with Ganondorf, but every so often the Gerudo managed to gather enough strength to kick out at the Hero of Time.

"Come on!" she shouted at her Triforce piece. "Don't do this to me, not now." The triangle remained stubbornly where it was. She looked back to Link, and then slowly turned her gaze back onto Impal. As she stared at the crumpled corpse of the once strong man, she suddenly felt very tired. "All those deaths... what was it all even for?" she whispered to him.

Then, finally, the last piece of her puzzle clicked into place. It was what Arlene had always tried to tell her, it was why her parents and grandparents had always tried to remain hidden, and it had even been hidden away in Link's stupid book, tucked away within the pages and whispered at her, just barely registered by her subconscious.

_"Do we even want to live in this world if it required so much death and suffering to exist in the first place?"_

The Triforce piece in her hand erupted into several rays of blinding light, and when the light faded a second later the piece was gone from her palm. Flipping her hand around, she saw the symbol of the Triforce fresh on her skin, brimming with power.

A familiar rush of energy flowed through her, and bringing that power to her fingertips came as naturally to her as breathing, even after all this time. She threw her hands forward, directly at Ganondorf, letting a beam of pure white light shoot out from her. It was draining, but she refused to let the light fade. Sheer stubbornness kept her standing, and she kept the light fueled not with the anger that had always kept her going in the rebellion, but with her memories of Impal. It wasn't fair, what had happened to him, and she should have noticed he was trapped much, much sooner.

The death of her daughter was the fault of the false king standing before her. No one else's. With this thought the light from her hands only grew brighter.

_"Just one more death,"_ she promised her lost family. _"Then it'll be over."_

* * *

The instant the first rays of the light hit Ganondorf, Link felt the Gerudo lose control entirely. Releasing the other man with a relieved gasp, Link watched as Ganondorf became completely frozen within the light.

"Link," Zelda grunted. "Any day now."

"Right!" He scrambled to his feet and lifted the Master Sword.

Ganondorf sneered at him, though he wasn't able to move anything else. "You know I'll come back. I will kill you. Someday."

Link so wanted to kill him right there, but a memory of Arlene, his friend and mentor, flickered briefly through his mind.

_"...Death, rebirth, revenge; it's always surrounded the three of you, and it will continue to."_

_"How do you break a cycle like that?"_

_"I'm not sure you can..."_

Link let out a breath; whether Arlene was even still alive or not didn't really matter, she would still want him to try something. If there was any hope of breaking the cycle, Ganondorf's last memories before his death couldn't be of a heartless execution. He glanced at Zelda; she looked tired, but determined. She could probably last a little while longer. "That doesn't have to be your path, Ganondorf. When you're reborn... you're not quite the same person. You could have different experiences. A better childhood."

Ganondorf scoffed. "Oh what? Are you going to make sure of that?"

"I could."

Ganondorf began to lean forward, and behind him Zelda called out to Link in a warning tone. "I..." Ganondorf began scornfully. "I prefer our relationship the way it is... thank you very much."

Link raised the Master Sword and leaned forward himself, so their faces were mere inches away from each other. "Fine by me."

The Master Sword fell, and Ganondorf's head dropped to the ground. The light around him faded, and his body soon joined the fallen head on the floor.

A horrified shriek filled the room. Hadiya pushed past Link and fell to her knees before her father, tears streaming down her face.

Link backed away until he was standing next to Zelda. Neither said anything. There wasn't really anything to say. Nothing was left to do but listen to a daughter mourn for her father.

At least, that was what they thought. A small doubt began to creep into them both when they saw the faint yet unmistakable golden glow of a Triforce piece begin to slowly surround the body of Ganondorf.

* * *

**One chapter left, and then there's the epilogue! What else could possibly happen in the next chapter, you ask? Well, I'll give you a hint... how about a sneak peek at Chapter 43!**

**Chapter 43: The Monster from the Shadows**

**Tada! Wasn't that the best sneak peek ever? Well, have a good weekend everyone, and thanks for reading!**


	44. Chapter 43: The Monster from the Shadows

**Thanks to Guest for reviewing! I'm sorry if why Zelda killed Impal wasn't clear, maybe I should rethink that last chapter. Yes, Zelda killed him because he couldn't live with himself for killing their daughter (even though that hadn't really been him, since he had been brainwashed and all that). Hope that cleared things up!**

**Here we go... the last chapter before the epilogue! **

* * *

Chapter 43

The Monster from the Shadows

Hadiya's mourning didn't last for very long. Link listened to her wails, wishing he could do something to comfort her but knowing he was probably the last person she would want to talk to right then. He thought back to how easy it had been to sever Ganondorf's head from his body. It had been very easy, and try as he might he couldn't forget the thrill of satisfaction that had coursed through him as he had done it. The king had had it coming, for those many months of pain he had put Link through, but... had he made a mistake? He looked away from Hadiya, wishing he wasn't feeling so conflicted at the moment. He had done what he had to, right? Ganondorf had to die... right? So then why did everything feel so messed up? Hadiya probably hated him right now.

His internal struggle didn't last for very long. The body of Ganondorf suddenly began to glow.

"It's the Triforce of Power," Zelda whispered. "It's leaving him."

"Hadi," Link called across the room. "Be careful."

Hadiya ignored him, and watched with swollen eyes as the small triangle suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Hadi..." Link said again, a bit more nervously this time.

Slowly turning her head away from the triangle, which was still hovering next to her, she met Link's gaze. Golden eyes met blue, and for a few seconds the room was eerily silent save for the slight hum from the Triforce of Power.

"You killed him," Hadiya whispered. "And I begged you not to. But you did anyway."

"I-"

Zelda stepped forward, an arrow notched into the string of the Light Bow. "Hadiya, get away from it."

Hadiya glared at her and then snatched for the Triforce of Power. "I thought we were friends, Link!"

From behind her, Zelda could hear Link choke out a response. "We are."

But a blinding glow had already surrounded Hadiya, blocking their sight of her. Zelda let her arrow fly, ignoring Link's too late protest; it disappeared into the golden light, but she had no idea if it had actually hit her target or not. All that they could hear was that hum. As the light began to fade Zelda quickly readied another arrow.

The room's shadows slowly returned to fill where the light left, and as they did a new shadow joined them. Zelda subconsciously took a step back, closer to Link, both staring at the new figure standing at the other end of the room. With a brief glance over her shoulder she saw the Master Sword hanging loosely in Link's hand, an expression of shock on his face that matched Zelda's entirely.

Before them they looked not at Hadiya, but at a grotesque and twisted echo of what the woman had been just a few moments ago. Before them stood a giant monster that was several feet taller than Hadiya had been, with a hunched back, thick, black skin, and a face that had transformed into an almost boar-like appearance. Thick tusks protruded from its mouth, and drops of saliva fell between them as the creature snarled at Link.

"What... is that?" Zelda asked in a low voice. The creature turned its glare onto Zelda, its long ears twitching in agitation.

Link stepped forward, so he was standing in front of Zelda, with his sword raised before him. "A monster from the shadows," he replied grimly.

The monster pointed at Link, long, sharp claws clicking together. "Die, Hylian," it bellowed, the soft voice of Hadiya nowhere to be heard in that harsh guttural bark.

Then it charged towards them, and Link shoved Zelda out of the way before leaping to the side and swinging his sword with him. It all happened so quickly that Zelda had barely enough time to catch herself from falling before she heard two screams fill the room; the voices of Link and the monster mixed together into an almost inhuman shriek of pain.

Pulling the bow string back again, Zelda turned sharply back towards Link. The two had moved. They were now near the wall, and seemed to be stuck together. The monster had several of its sharp claws stabbing into Link's right shoulder; they protruded through at the other side, where they dug into the wall, keeping the man pinned to the thick stone. Link's left hand was still holding onto the Master Sword, his knuckles white from the tightness of his grip. The blade itself was completely buried into the monster's right arm, and so long as Link kept his grip on the hilt the monster was unable to move it to use the claws of its other hand on him.

Zelda took all this in without even blinking before she quickly fired the Light Bow. Her arrow dug into the monster's back, and the creature gave another pained bellow. Beyond that, however, the arrow seemed to have little effect on it. Where it had at least slowed down Ganondorf, this creature seemed fairly immune to the powers of the light arrows.

Neck muscles bulged out from under the thick skin as it slowly turned its head to look at Zelda. Taking advantage of this new viewpoint, Zelda quickly fired another arrow towards the creature's head. It reacted to the incoming missile at an impossible speed. There was a blur of movement that her eyes couldn't possibly keep track of. It wasn't until the creature stopped again, and she heard a scream from the wrong person that she realized how the monster had moved. It had turned, and the arrow had hit Link's back instead.

"Link!" Zelda screamed. It wasn't a fatal hit... it _couldn't_ be. But she couldn't tell.

There was another blur of movement, and suddenly Link was sailing through the air, headed straight towards the wall across the room at an uncomfortable speed that would crush bones if he hit where the monster wanted him to. Dropping the bow without a second's thought, Zelda flung up her arms and summoned more of her magic. Her body still felt drained from having to hold Ganondorf for so long, but she managed to dig up enough. An invisible hand grabbed the Hero of Time from the air and quickly pulled him to the ground at a more manageable speed.

She didn't have time to pick up the bow again before the monster was suddenly upon her. Instinct had her ducking and rolling as the sharp claws cut through the air above her. Sharp tusks clacked together angrily as Zelda scrambled between its long legs so she was now behind it. She straightened just in time to see a fist sailing towards her. Leaping to the side proved not to be enough, as a second one came at her just as quickly. While the first one missed, the second sent her skidding across the floor, completely winded. She felt her broken rib pushed even further away from its natural position, and for a while Zelda lay there, unable to breathe and not really wanting to.

The monster gave a loud bellow that shook the walls, but Zelda barely heard it. Somewhere through the pain her mind registered the monster was right above her now, and probably getting ready to land a killing blow. Her eyes slipped closed. She didn't want to give up, but her body had betrayed her. Despite the last few exhausted thoughts in her brain screaming at her muscles to keep moving, everything in her remained frozen.

A moment passed. Then another. The claws never came. Briefly her mind registered hearing something else, a sort of clanking sound, as if those claws had hit _something_, just not her. What though, she had no idea.

_"Come on, Zelda!"_ she yelled at herself. _"Move. Do something. At least look! Meet your death head on! You're not a coward, you're a Hylian!"_

The woman's eyes snapped open. Link was at her side, the Master Sword gripped tightly with both hands as it hovered directly over her, keeping the long claws from touching her. Blood dripped unchecked from his shredded shoulder, and a small part of her was amazed he was able to still use it at all. Most of the arrow in his back had broken off, leaving a jagged piece of wood protruding from it, but Zelda noticed with relief that it was closer to the side, far from the spine or anything else that was important.

The monster seemed shocked that Link had managed to arrive in time, and for a brief moment just let its claws press against the Master Sword. Zelda took advantage of this surprise. She surged to her feet, out from underneath the Master Sword and the monster, and then pulled everything she had together before sending it all at Hadiya. A thin beam of light, barely noticeable at all, made its slow way towards the monster. It was shaped as a spear, but was moving so slowly it was hard to tell it was moving at all.

Zelda collapsed, spent and barely breathing, before she was able to see the results of her action.

Link, however, was fully conscious. He was trapped in yet another struggle with the monster, as Zelda moving away from it had shaken it free of its initial surprise. As Link dodged the claws and thrusted his sword into any opening of the monster's defense he could find, the light ever so slowly approached them. It seemed to be almost crawling towards them, as if it hadn't been given enough force behind its initial throw to move any faster. He watched it out of the corner of his eye, knowing that if it missed he wouldn't get another chance. Every so often his sword managed to rip through the monster's skin, and the room was filled with its bellows of pain and anger.

Dodge and swipe, then dodge some more. His muscles were already strained from after his battle with Ganondorf, and this creature was so much stronger than the dead king. Every move of his arm sent waves of pain through his torn shoulder, but he had to keep his grip on the sword with both hands. Using just one wouldn't be enough, despite how much he wished he could just let his right one remain motionless.

Finally the spear of light was upon them, and Link kicked out, shoving the monster forcefully into its path. The light slammed into its chest and quickly spread out, like a blanket, over the creature's entire body. The monster growled, but despite the strain in its muscles appeared to be completely immobile. With a gasp of relief Link felt the pressure of the monster's claws disappear from his sword, and his shoulder relaxed with a painful shudder.

Letting his right arm fall to his side, he tightened his grip on his sword with his left hand and pointed the sharp tip of its blade at the monster's forehead. He stared into the monster's eyes, and suddenly felt conflicted once again. The eyes had changed shape, so they were now much smaller and beadier than Hadiya's had been, but they were still the same color. Warped by resentment and fury, but they were still the same. Blue eyes met gold, and for a quiet moment they stayed that way.

_"There must be a way to bring her back from this..."_ he thought to himself. _"She stopped me from killing Impal in cold blood... stopped _me_ from turning into a monster. I have to do the same for her."_

"Hadi," Link whispered, and the creature's ears twitched angrily. "You don't want to kill me. We _are_ friends. And I... maybe it was just me, but from the moment I met you I thought there was something..." He paused, because the fury was still there in those eyes. "No. No, I know there was something there. Something special between us. And maybe it took me this long to realize it because I'm an idiot, but I lo-"

The monster roared, and a heavy arm swung out, sending Link flying through the air to land roughly several feet away. His shoulder flared in protest at the landing, and for a while his pupils contracted from the pain so much that he could barely see a single thing.

Zelda was between him and the creature, still unconscious, and as Link struggled to get back to his tired feet the monster slowly started to approach, shaking off the last of Zelda's magic like a dog shakes off water from its fur. It was completely oblivious to the Hylian princess until the woman chose that moment to start to wake up. It was a slow return to consciousness, and was marked first by a low moan deep in the woman's throat.

The creature paused and slowly looked towards Zelda. She was still in the first few stages of struggling to wakefulness, and entirely unaware of the monster as it loomed over her.

"Hadi!" Link shouted. "Don't!"

The monster pointed a few of its claws directly at Zelda's throat and then looked back up at Link, an almost gleeful expression on its face as it noticed the torment on the man's face.

"Don't," Link repeated, though his voice had lost its strength and it came out as a pleading whisper. "Remember the ocean? You could still go there again. ...I should've made you stay there."

The long ears of the monster heard him despite his voice's lack of volume, and as they twitched a deep chuckle reverberated from its throat and across the room. It raised its arm slightly, to get enough room so the blow would land with enough force to sever the woman's head. The arm began to fall, and Link moved. He moved faster than he thought would ever be humanly possible.

"Don't!" he screamed; the Master Sword cut through the air, severing through the monster's arm. It landed on the floor, the entire forearm completely severed from the creature's body.

The monster screeched and backpedaled, pain and pure surprise taking the place of the anger in those golden eyes. It tripped as it tried to get away from the pain in what was left of its right arm, and landed roughly onto the stone floor.

Link followed after it. There was no time to think, no time to plead; Hadiya was gone, replaced by a monster created by the twisted mind of her father... and maybe even his own, because Link knew he wasn't blameless in what had become of the girl. A single tear fell down his face as he cried out, the Master Sword cutting through the air once again.

"I'm sorry, Hadi!"

Then the blade cut straight into the monster's forehead, burying itself deep so that only the hilt remained.

The golden eyes only had enough time to widen in shock before they suddenly froze. Its entire body froze. Less than the time it took to blink an eye, a sheet of stone spread out from the Master Sword's hilt. It covered the monster entirely, trapping it in an inescapable seal and freezing Hadiya in a single moment of time.

With a sob Link let his hands slip from the Master Sword's hilt, and he collapsed to his knees beside the creature that had taken his friend. "I loved you," he whispered.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Keep in mind that once I post that epilogue I won't be able to reply to any anonymous reviews, so if you've got any questions or anything about the story, now's the time to ask them!**

**See you Wednesday!**


	45. Epilogue

**Waaaa! Endings make me sad!**

**Thanks to fan, gerudo, daw, Tears, Nabooru'sapprentice, Guest, and fooler for reviewing!**

**fan: Yikes, was that not clear, either? I'm super sorry! I guess there's a couple of chapters I should rethink... I tried to hint at that when Zelda was with Rauru, and going through all those flashbacks, but I guess it was only clear to me because I already knew. Heheh. Oops.**

**gerudo: Yeah I might've lied about saying more about Hadiya's mother (sorries). The thing is, I did have this whole thing planned with Hadi's mom, but then I ended up removing it last minute because I decided I didn't really like it all that much. So what you get in Chapter 34, when Link and Hadi are chatting under the giant tree about their parents, is all you get.**

**To all asking about Hadiya: Basically, Hadiya got turned into a statue, like what happened to Ganondorf in the end of Wind Waker (and that's how we find him in the beginning of this story as well, so by my logic if one were to remove the Master Sword from Hadiya, she would be perfectly fine). I'm of the same mind as the reviewer gerudo: the Triforce of Power just amplified her anger at Link for killing her father when she had begged him not to, and that's why she ended up transforming into a form similar to Ganon.**

**As for all the other questions asked: To be continued! You might find out either in this epilogue or in the sequel I have planned ;-)**

* * *

Epilogue

Zelda strode through her castle, a satisfied smile on her face as the hundreds of statues and portraits of Ganondorf were torn down. Her smile only grew when she noticed that the ones tearing down the old decor were both Hylian and Gerudo, and both were participating in the task with quite a bit of energy and laughter.

Of course, she expected them to get along; everyone inside the palace were members of her rebellion, and had fought alongside those same Gerudo against Ganondorf. They were bonded now through something far stronger than any friendship Zelda could hope for. It was a bond that came only from realizing you could trust your life with someone, whether you actually liked that person or not. Outside the palace, in the city, was a different story. The Hylian civilians weren't very trusting of the Gerudo, and the Gerudo weren't very certain on how they felt about them either, even as they worked together to fix up the metropolis. The Hylians were used to the frustration of being oppressed, and the Gerudo were used to the power of being the oppressors. Fights and scuffles frequently broke out amongst the two peoples, and insults were thrown about carelessly. She knew it would take time for the trust to start to build, if it ever did. That was something she would have to deal with later, but for now everyone was preoccupied with the repairs.

Most of the old Hylian district was being torn down; Zelda had decided that the register would be the only building left standing in the area. The rest of the houses were destroyed and salvaged, though there wasn't really any good materials to be salvaged. New homes would be built, and they would stand just as tall as the Gerudo buildings did.

Before Zelda managed to reach the outside, a single Gerudo came marching up to her briskly.

"Lucine," Zelda greeted. While she didn't care to admit it, it was mostly due to the guard captain's efforts that the Gerudo outside the palace were as well behaved as they were. The woman had taken on what should have been Hadiya's role almost effortlessly, and was even in the process of reforming the Gerudo's entire government.

_"The Gerudo do not fare well under a single ruler,"_ Lucine had said after she had found what remained of Ganondorf and Hadiya. _"I spoke once, with the Triforce of Wisdom, and it suggested a council. A council of sisters. There will be no decision made until all of us within it are in agreement."_

Lucine nodded at the Hylian queen's greeting. "Zelda. You should know another fight broke out earlier this morning. _We're_ dealing with _our_ sisters."

Half-smiling at the unspoken question, Zelda gave a nod. "I assure you any Hylians involved will be dealt with accordingly. I'll have Colonel Russ tend to it."

The two women bade their farewells and then, just before parting, shared matching expressions of frustration and weariness; it seemed that everyday was the same story.

Zelda finally reached the exit, and she stepped outside into the early morning air. Already she could hear the sounds of work beginning down in the city, along with the sounds of distant explosions further out in the field. Not quite in the mood to go to the city just yet, Zelda headed towards the explosions instead. She was in the mood for a good argument, and the source of those explosions never failed in that regard.

She left the city and walked down a few more miles before finally reaching what Sturgeon was calling the excavation site, though everyone knew it was just a mess of upturned dirt and large chunks of rock; a place where he could practice with his newest form of explosives.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she caught sight of the man she was looking for as he hopped around a large hole he had just created, the shade of bright red coloring his head a sure sign that he was upset about something; a few others were standing around looking nervous, and as Zelda approached she could hear the agitated voice of Sturgeon shouting at them.

"Do you want the whole thing to collapse on them!? I said wait 'til I say clear! I didn't say clear, did I!?"

"Sturgeon," Zelda greeted him.

The man turned sharply. "What!?" he snapped before realizing who had just arrived. "Oh... Hi."

Zelda didn't bother to remind him that she was queen now, and he really should show a little more respect. She herself wasn't comfortable with the idea, and she still donned her rebellion uniform whenever she went out, out of sheer habit. "How goes the digging?"

"How goes the... how!? I'll tell you how! Stupidly!"

"I'm not sure that adjective works in this context," Zelda said, peering down into the hole. Train tracks glistened back up at her, along with the spooked expression of young Byrne and a few other Hylians.

Byrne had been the one to come up with the idea of finally uncovering the train tracks again, and Sturgeon had all but jumped on the chance to put his old students to work. Of course some parts would have to remain underground forever, as that was just the way of the terrain now, but Zelda hoped that someday most of them would be uncovered and repaired. She, along with several others, wanted to see the trains return. Even if their vans were faster and made for better modes of transportation, the trains had become more of a symbol for the land's freedom than anything else.

"Oh it fits alright!" Sturgeon shouted. "Those morons over there nearly squashed those morons down here! And those guys used to be honors students, too! So... stupidly!"

"Fine, fine. Stupidly." She peered down into the hole again. "Byrne! Why don't you come with me before you end up becoming a part of the tracks."

The little boy scrambled up with the help of some ropes that had been placed at random intervals along the hole.

"Where are you going?" Byrne asked curiously.

"To check on the farms." Zelda smiled. _"And on something else,"_ she thought to herself.

Byrne understood the unspoken addition, and he eagerly agreed to follow.

"Fine," Sturgeon said in frustration. "I'll continue when I get back. You hooligans better not do anything until then!"

Zelda blinked. "I don't recall inviting you."

Sturgeon crossed his arms. "And I don't recall you _not_ inviting me!"

"I-" Zelda sighed. "Fine."

As they continued to walk through the field's short, stubby grass that had just started to regrow over the burned ashes of its predecessor, Sturgeon began to mutter to himself. "Honestly, my brother lives there, too. I don't see why I wouldn't be invited to visit him."

Zelda and Byrne exchanged weary glances as the man continued to complain. They walked past a few farms, but didn't bother to stop and check on the progress of the fields. Most had only been just replanted, and it would take some time before they had real food again. Until then they were taking what they needed from the forest, though it just didn't taste as good as the fruits that would come from the farms someday.

Eventually they reached the farm they wanted to visit. A few horses and cows were picking at the fresh grass, and they ignored the presence of the newcomers. The farm house and barn still had blackened walls from where the fire had struck it, but the current residents had done a fair job at patching the buildings up so they wouldn't collapse anytime soon.

Zelda rapped lightly on the door, breathing a sigh of relief when Sturgeon finally fell silent.

The door opened a moment later, revealing Orca and a kitchen that still required a lot of work before it was back to its former glory.

"Hey, guys!" Orca greeted. "You know you don't have to knock, just come in! The door doesn't lock yet anyway."

"Is Link here?" Zelda asked as the three stepped inside.

Orca opened his mouth to respond, but Beth suddenly appeared alongside her mother.

"There you are!" Sera exclaimed when she spotted Zelda. "When are you going to let us move back into the market square!? I need my store open, I feel lost without it!"

"Just a little while longer," Zelda answered reassuringly. "I want most of our efforts in rebuilding right now. We can't have people running around in our construction sites."

"Oh, I know," Sera said wistfully. "I just really want to put up my new sign. Sera's Books and Sundries! Link painted it for me and everything."

Sturgeon shook his head. "It's going to take some time to start teaching people how to read anyway. Besides, everyone's too busy to shop! Or at least,_ most_ people are," Sturgeon added with a pointed glare at Orca.

"What? I'm helping with the farm," Orca defended himself, pointing over his shoulder with a thumb towards a window, at the tilled fields behind the house.

"Staring at the plants won't make them grow any faster!" Sturgeon said. "What could you possibly be doing with them right now when they haven't even started growing!?"

"I talk to them! Plants need love, too!"

"That's hogwash!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Beth," Zelda said as she blocked out the brothers' voices from her mind. As soon as the younger woman looked towards her, Zelda gave a nod to Orca. "You sure you want to get involved with that guy?"

Beth gritted her teeth together as she listened to the two brothers continue to argue. "It's still under debate," she grumbled.

Zelda chuckled. "Is Link here?"

Tearing her gaze away from Orca yet again, Beth shook her head. "He and Hibiscus left a few hours ago."

"Where?"

Beth wrung her hands nervously. "You know... to see them off."

"Is that today?" Zelda asked in alarm.

Both Byrne and Beth nodded at her silently, amusement in both their eyes.

"Thanks, Beth!" With that, Zelda tore out of the house, her long hair flowing behind her.

"Where's she off to in such a hurry?" Orca asked.

"You probably scared her off because she just realized she left the resupplying of our foodstuffs to a dratted hooligan like you," Sturgeon answered casually.

* * *

The ocean. It lay sprawled out before them, pushing towards them with small waves before pulling back, as if beckoning them closer. Link breathed in the salty air and then let it out with a sigh. For him, despite its calm and beauty, the ocean had lost most of its charm.

He turned to Linebeck, little Hibiscus snuggled safely in the younger man's left arm. "You sure about this?" he asked Linebeck.

Linebeck grinned at Link, his glee at what he was doing putting aside any doubts Link had about this trip of his.

The small steam ship was anchored beside a rotting dock. The wooden planks creaked underneath their feet as the two men walked along it towards the boat.

"Any ideas where you're going to head first?" Link asked.

Linebeck laughed, and it was the first free sounding laugh he had ever heard from him. "Who knows? Perhaps... that way?" he pointed towards the horizon, where only blue met his eyes. For a moment Linebeck considered the direction he pointed to and then nodded in agreement with himself. With near practiced ease he swung up a rope ladder and onto the deck of his ship. He started to tug on some ropes that were attached to the larger sails, but then he paused and looked back at Link. "This was Grandma's ship once," he said with a fond smile.

Link gazed up at him and nodded. "I know."

It was the ship that had started the entire thing. Arlene and her family, sailing to find an ancient site and new discoveries, only to have Ganondorf sail back with them. He was impressed the ship had survived out on its own for so long; it had only required a few minor repairs that Linebeck had quickly taken care of.

"...You sure you don't want to come?" Linebeck asked. "There... there's treasure out there to find." His eyes lit up at the thought.

For a while Link was silent. He gazed out over the ocean, a look of longing in his eyes. Then Hibiscus wriggled in her sleep, and he looked back to Linebeck. "I'm sure. Thanks, Grandpa."

Linebeck grinned at the familiar nickname before giving the ropes he was holding one final tug. Sails dropped, and a moment later they swelled outwards, catching the wind. The ship began to move slowly, out towards the deep ocean. Just then another figure appeared, climbing up slowly from the steps that led down below deck. Arlene's voice could soon be heard, scolding Linebeck for not warning her that they were going to start moving before he actually started them off.

"Good bye, Link!" Arlene called out, cupping her hands around her mouth so her voice would be sure to reach the shore. "I promise I'll remember to write! ...Unless I forget! Don't take any wooden rupees, and eat your vegetables!"

Link stiffly raised his right hand in farewell. "Bye, Arly."

He continued to stand on the pier and watch the ship slowly shrink in the distance, not moving his gaze until Zelda appeared at his side, breathing heavily.

"You missed them," Link commented.

"That's ok," Zelda said as she waved. The ship was slowly shrinking against the horizon, but the Hylians on the shore still refused to turn away, even as it dwindled down to a small, black dot, barely visible in the distance. "They'll come back someday. With a ton of useless artifacts to show off, no doubt."

"Wisdom telling you that?"

Zelda nearly gave his good arm a hard whack but reminded herself that it was currently holding onto a baby and stopped herself in time. "No. It's a gut feeling."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Link's face. "In that case I guess I should believe you."

The ship was long gone now, and the sun was just beginning to set.

"...Did you run all the way here?" Link asked, finally breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them.

"Yes," Zelda answered with a shrug.

"You know... I have horses," Link nodded towards the three animals that he and the family of archaeologists had ridden on; they were standing up on a hill, far enough from the water but close enough they could still be easily seen, even in the fading light.

"Right... Well unlike some people, I value good exercise."

Link smirked. "Sure. I suppose someone of your age needs to keep up with that sort of thing. Well if you don't want one for the way back that's fine."

"I didn't say that, now did I?" Zelda snapped. "And watch who you're calling old, brat."

The pair rolled their eyes at each other.

"Come on," Zelda said. "We should head back before it gets too dark."

They turned to leave, but Link only took a few steps before turning back. The horizon met his eyes once again, the sky above and the waters below both shimmering with red and gold hues from the sunset.

Link smiled before lowering his head and whispering down to the sleeping infant he held. "Well then, Hibiscus... Onwards to adventure."

* * *

**I've gots a poll on my profile right now, and if you've read this far I'd greatly appreciate you guys taking a moment to take it. Mostly, I'm bored, and felt like doing a poll, because I haven't done one in ages. The question is: Arrr, matey, do ye be wanting a sequel to this here fanfic? Well, do ye? Only the poll has less of a pirate accent (maybe). So please do check it out if you have the time, and don't forget to vote, please! I allow you to pick more than one choice, so feel free to pick both yes and no, just to mess with me! Come on, you know you want to...**

**Also, for those of you who aren't registered on this site, or don't feel like having to log in just to vote, feel free to leave an anonymous review here, letting me know what you think, and I'll be sure to include them in my results later.  
I do have a little blurb about the sequel on my profile, so if you're curious about it you can check that out as well (though I should warn you now there's not all that much info there right now...). I just wrote it in now, so if you don't see it yet under Current Works in Progress, then wait a bit and then try checking again.**

**As soon as I'm ready with the sequel, I'll let you know here, as an extra bonus chapter or something... with probably a sneak peak. Like a movie trailer! Just without the cool music. Speaking of cool music, I think that if this fic were a movie (what? A girl can dream!) the outro song to this should be A Place in Heaven, composed by Thomas Bergersen. Prettiest song I ever did hear (and I'm sort of obsessed with it at the moment...). Seriously, check it out, it's really pretty! You can find it on the youtube.**

**A final, big, huge, super thank you to all of you who have read this far, left reviews and/or sent PMs about it, followed this story, or favorite-ed! I appreciate you all so much you have no idea! If I could send you all my world famous lemon bars I would (and by world famous I mean just Mom-famous, 'cause she's the only one who eats them for some strange and unknown reason...)! Words cannot express how fond I am of each and every one of you, so I'll just have to refer to the tried and true... thank you!**

**See you around!**


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